Pierre Claud had a stroke in February and came to Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital – Bradford’s Transitional Care Unit on March 17th. Originally, he went to another local acute rehab hospital, but left because they weren’t a good fit for him, as he was not making the progress he knew he was capable of.
He said, “I’ve been here for 32 days.” And his wife, Yvonne, responded, “You counted how many days?”
He responded with a quick math problem, and she laughed.
When Pierre came to Bradford, he had no use of the left side of his body. He can now easily navigate and grip his smartphone using his left hand, use utensils, and walk with the help of a walker.
When the Claud’s were looking for a place for Pierre to recover, they were immediately impressed with Bradford TCU’s five-star rating, but were still unsure. That’s when their son, a nurse, asked his friend, who works at Whittier Bradford, if he would send his family members here. His friend said he absolutely, without question, would. So the Claud’s made the decision, and Bradford TCU has exceeded their expectations.
“This is the place to send grandma and grandpa!” Pierre said.
Yvonne thanks God and their friends and family worldwide; in Haiti, Canada, Florida, and here in Massachusetts who have prayed for her husband. She also said his spirit and perseverance helped a lot with his recovery. Pierre also thanks his wife, family and all of the staff at Whittier; the nurses, therapists, and doctors, who have been incredibly helpful and kind.
On Patriots Day, also known as Marathon Monday in Massachusetts, the TCU set up their own marathon of sorts. They created a walking path that was 26.2 yards long for patients to walk or jog along.
While Pierre was getting ready to start his walk, one of his nurses said, “His recovery has been absolutely amazing. He couldn’t move his entire left side when he came to us. He walked from his bed to the bathroom yesterday, and I got tears in my eyes.”
Pierre stood from his wheelchair and, assisted by his walker and encouragement from therapists and nurses, started his trek. When he crossed the finish line, just over three minutes later, everyone cheered. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. We could all tell he was incredibly proud of his accomplishment. Before posing for a picture, he held up his hand and joked, “5-star TCU!”
Pierre is excited to be going back to his own space but is slightly nervous. However he also feels prepared and knows he has been given the right tools by Whittier to succeed and live his life to the fullest.
Pierre, we are so happy you’re going home and are thrilled to have had such a positive impact on your recovery!
