Dear Friends,
In this holiday
letter
we catch up with three Hospital for Special Care patients who continue
to make remarkable gains in rebuilding their lives. We hope they bring
you as much inspiration as they do for us....
Farmington is a tough town to
grow up in if you’re not part of the social scene or play sports.
Colleen Rock wouldn't know anything about that.
The outspoken
senior at
Farmington High School enjoys a plethora of academic and athletic
awards and is being courted by prestigious colleges.
“My injury has
forced me
to be more outgoing,” says the pretty blonde teen who experienced a
traumatic spinal cord bleed at age 11 and continues to receive physical
rehabilitation at Hospital for Special Care.
Colleen also takes
part
in the Hospital’s Ivan Lendl Adaptive Sports Camp each summer,
excelling in tennis, javelin and discus. She competes on the Wolf Pack
sled hockey team, and this year she joined her school swim team. “I
love being with my friends and being as active as I can,” says Colleen.
Send Colleen an email message of
encouragement.
A few years ago Allen Zolty, of
Cromwell, was a high-powered labor negotiator “in charge of my life.” A motorcycle accident left him with a traumatic brain injury that would
derail his career and rob him of life’s simplest pleasures.
“I had to learn to
walk
again, talk again, and eat again,” recalls Allen. “Hospital for Special
Care helped me with my emotional and spiritual recovery, as well as my
physical care. I used to keep to myself before the accident. Now people see me as a warm and humorous person.” Allen’s long road
to
recovery continues today. He works out with a personal trainer and his
mobility is slowly returning. He
travels
and enjoys family with whom he’s grown closer. He recently celebrated
his 60th birthday, directing friends to give to Hospital for Special
Care. “When you have your health, you need nothing else,” he adds. Send Allen an email message of encouragement.
East Hartford Canine Police
Officer Todd Mona and
his dog Primo were both severely injured in a raid last January. The
officer spent several weeks at Hospital for Special Care with Primo at
his bedside. Todd fought the odds, including a massive infection and
excruciating physical therapy. This summer, Primo was also back in
action, “wowing” the crowds at the Canine Olympics. Though bullets
remain lodged in Todd’s legs, he and Primo are once again serving their
community. Send Todd and Primo an email message of encouragement.
Please
help us continue rebuilding lives by making a contribution to Hospital
for Special Care today. Make a secure online donation at www.hfsc.org/donateonline
or send your check payable to Hospital for Special Care
Foundation to Hospital for Special Care Foundation, 2150 Corbin Avenue,
New Britain, CT 06053.
Best wishes for a
safe
and happy holiday season to you and your loved ones from all of us at
Hospital for Special Care.
In good health,
Sheila Hogan
Vice President
Hospital for Special
Care Foundation
