Posted on August 25, 2015
Brian bonds with team at Mary Free Bed at Sparrow
Brian Byelich needed 4 months of rehabilitation after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor. Knowing he had the right to choose where he received his care, he asked for Mary Free Bed at Sparrow. This decision also meant he could be close to his wife, Jessie, and their two kids – a crucial factor in Brian’s rehabilitation journey.
Intensive daily therapy — speech-language, physical and occupational — helped Brian to gain strength and re-learn everyday activities, like writing, getting dressed and brushing his teeth. The improvements were remarkable, says his wife Jessie.
“From where he started to where he is now, it’s unbelievable,” Jessie says.
Brian and Jessie say his care team continues to hold an important place in the family’s hearts.
“They treated me well,” Brian says of his inpatient stay.
“Let’s put it this way: He came home, and the first two to three months, all he talked about was all the people (at Mary Free Bed at Sparrow),” Jessie says. “He genuinely missed them.”
Brian says his rehabilitation team showed tremendous patience, particularly when helping him and his family to cope with issues of post-surgical impulsiveness. But it wasn’t just the people who made a positive impression on Brian.
“The food was good!” he laughs.
Watch the video above to learn more about Brian’s story and Mary Free Bed at Sparrow.
