This past summer, 42-year-old Josh Judd went to the ER with chest pain that radiated down his left arm, causing weakness and numbness in his upper and lower extremities. He was diagnosed with an epidermoid cyst on his brain and taken to surgery.

Following surgery, John became non-responsive and struggled to breathe. He was intubated, placed on a ventilator, and an external ventricular drain (EVD), a temporary catheter that drains spinal fluid, was placed. After being extubated and his EVD discontinued, Josh was transferred to Utah Valley Specialty Hospital (UVSH).

Upon arrival at UVSH, Josh had severe weakness in his left extremities and other medical complications including pneumonia and hypertension. At first, therapy for Josh was limited due to fatigue and severe weakness, but as his medical conditions stabilized, he focused more on his therapy outcomes. His goal was to walk short distances with a walker and climb stairs.

Josh enjoyed his interactions with the nurses and therapy staff, especially the Director of Therapy, Jeff Jennings. After 23 days, Josh was discharged from UVSH to continue his recovery at Northern Utah Rehabilitation Hospital (NURH), another Ernest Health hospital in Ogden. After two weeks of treatment and work at NURH, he was successfully discharged home.

The following day, Josh returned to visit UVSH. He was excited to show Jeff and the staff that he could walk without a walker and to share that he could navigate the stairs at his new apartment. Josh has now returned home with his wife, Virginia, and is getting back to his everyday activities.