One day in November 2022, Heather Centella arrived at her job at a law office feeling a bit “off.” She dropped her cell phone, went to pick it up, and dropped it again. Then her face went numb.

Her coworkers immediately called 911 then Heather’s husband. She was transported to a local acute care hospital where she was told that she had suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke, where a ruptured blood vessel caused bleeding in her brain.

Heather was unable to walk, move, or communicate with her family and required a feeding tube. After a month of acute care, therapists at the hospital recommended that Heather receive inpatient rehabilitation at Midlands Regional Rehabilitation Hospital (MRRH) based upon its newness, private rooms, modern technology, and excellent patient reviews.

While at MRRH, Heather remained motivated and dedicated to her recovery. She received three hours of intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapies five days a week, which helped her gain back normalcy in her daily activities.

By the time Heather discharged from MRRH four weeks later, she was able to eat, walk, dress, and bathe herself with minimal assistance from the family. “One month at MRRH changed my life,” Heather says.

Heather and her husband, Andrew, praise the hospital staff for their energy, compassion, and level of professional care that they provided. In particular, they noted the flexibility of the staff to accommodate their children and other family members during the Christmas holiday.

After discharging from the hospital, Heather transitioned to outpatient therapy at MRRH to continue her recovery. She has since returned to activities she enjoys, including going on her first cruise this past fall and cheering on her children at Little League baseball games.