Director of Concierge: Daniel Farmer
Patient Age: 70 years old
Admission Date: 2/4/21
Admitted From: NewYork-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center
Discharged To: TBD
Length of Stay: 57 Days
Reason for Stay: Sub Acute rehabilitation

Details of experience:
Leonard or “Lenny”, as he prefers to be called, was admitted to Weill Cornell Medical Center on December 1st, 2020, in order to have a scheduled laminectomy lumbar fusion. On his seventh day at the hospital he suddenly stopped breathing, due to pneumonia in both of his lungs. Due to this horrid incident, Mr. Lenny was then placed on a ventilator. Shortly after, he was placed in a medically induced coma, so an emergency tracheotomy could be performed.

On February 4th, Lenny arrived at the Riverside in the lowest of spirits, after being given the diagnosis that he would never speak or walk again. Lenny expressed how difficult the beginning of his journey was, sharing, ”imagine not being able to verbalize pain, or hold a pen steady enough to hold a pen.”  Being the warrior that he is, Lenny took a deep breath and got to work rehabilitating. When Lenny’s therapist would enter the room, he would greet them with an apprehensive smile, all the while feeling as if he was wasting his time; but he knew that if he wanted to get back to court reporting, he would have to work harder than he has ever had to in order to return to court reporting which he had done for forty-seven years. 

After his first month of rehab, Lenny regained muscle function in his hands and was proud to show off his ability to lift himself up in his wheelchair. That, as he noted, was a step… just step one. Now speaking of steps, Lenny is able to walk thirty-five feet with minor assistance. As Lenny stated, “There is a long way to go in his journey”; however, he would be remiss if he did not admit that the therapy that he received was world-class.

Lenny stated that not only did his therapist help lift him physically, but every day, they were there to lift his spirits and motivate him when, as he says…he had nothing left.