This testimonial reflects the experience and outcome of this patient. Actual results will vary.

“RIM really believed we would all walk again and that made us believe too.” - Paradise

Paradise  was taking two of her girls, LyLiah and Payden, to school, when their car hit ice on the expressway and spun out. Her immediate thoughts were to get her kids out of harm’s way.

“We were heading the wrong way. I told the girls to get out of the car and get to the side. That’s when another car lost control and slammed into us. I didn’t know what happened to any of us – my girls were taken to Children’s Hospital of Michigan and I went to DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital.”

All three suffered leg injuries. Paradise’s left femur was broken and her ACL in her right leg was torn. LyLiah had a broken femur and Payden had a broken ankle. 

Neither Paradise nor her girls could walk, and all eventually needed surgery to help repair their extensive injuries. Paradise’s injuries were the most severe, she required three surgeries and additional heart monitoring.

Two weeks after the accident, all three were referred to outpatient therapy at DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan’s (RIM) Northwest Center to teach them how to walk again.

“It’s hard enough to deal with an injury, let alone three of us with injuries. I’m so thankful that RIM was able to accommodate all of us at the same time.”

Paradise says it was great how the therapists knew how to work with kids, how to motivate them, make them laugh and have fun, while working them hard. She says her youngest daughter still asks to go visit despite being out of therapy for months.

“Everyone was just so wonderful. Of course, we had good and bad days, but they really believed we would all walk again and that made us believe too.”

Today, all three of them are walking, back to school and back to work.