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Peterson Health’s Pevehouse Ambulatory Care Center physical therapy staff celebrated National Rehabilitation Week by naming the “Patient of the Year,” a title bestowed upon one patient who’s recovery journey inspired the rehabilitation staff.
This year’s award went to Chase Durr, a senior at Tivy High School who recovered from a severe leg injury following a motor vehicle accident. Faced with either amputation or an external fixator frame and therapy, Chase Durr committed himself to his healing. Requiring over 20 surgeries, Chase spent around a year-and-a-half participating in Peterson’s rehabilitation program.
Chase’s mother, Olga Durr, explains how her son found his way to Peterson Health’s rehabilitation program.
“On February 4, 2022, my son was in a traumatic accident. For the next few months, I traveled back and forth to San Antonio, sometimes four times a week. It was crazy,” Olga said.
Dealing with an injury alongside travel costs can cause stress that only interrupts a healing process. To avoid this strain as well as seek more comprehensive, hands-on care, the family worked with their doctors to transfer Chase to a program back home (in Kerrville.)
“In San Antonio, a physical therapist came in and ignored the notes in Chase’s file and ended up causing a great deal of pain. So, physical therapy weren’t good words in our house.”
After transferring to Peterson Health, Chase worked closely with Jacob Reid, a physical therapist at the ACC.
Olga comments on the shift in perspective she saw in her son after working with Reid, “After our first visits, we knew Chase liked Jacob. Chase is a runner and bonded with Jacob over the sports activities they had both done.” said Olga.
Olga continues by emphasizing the importance of a good patient-therapist match, “We knew that there was not going to be any other therapist Chase was going to. Chase would tell me, ‘We aren’t going to physical therapy, we’re going to Jacob.’”
Reid shared what immediately stood out about Chase throughout their time together. “Very rarely as a therapist you work with a kid with way more drive than you do,” said Reid. “He’s a kid that got there 30 minutes early and just outworked me.”
Reid elaborated on how Chase continued to surprise the rehabilitation staff through his hard work.
“To have someone come in as non-ambulatory and finish the program running a 4 minute 17 second mile is the most outstanding and impressive rehab process I’ve ever seen,” said Reid. “It may never be topped.”
The event was closed with a speech from Chase himself on the significance of the rehabilitation program and staff in his life.
“Everytime I thank Jacob for helping me, he tells me I did all the work. That might be true in his mind, but if it wasn’t for all the laughs and games I wouldn’t have had the motivation to continue therapy,” said Chase.
Having a severe injury that requires rigorous physical therapy can have negative effects on a patient’s mental state. Chase explains how he navigated the tough times.
“There were plenty of days where I wanted to quit and I will fully admit that I did want to quit, but they gave me a reason not to.” said Chase.
For more information about Peterson Health’s Ambulatory Care Center’s out-patient rehabilitation program, visit their website at https://www.petersonhealth.com/services/outpatient-rehabilitation/.