Nearly three years in the past, Eric Abrahamson awakened at some point and couldn’t stroll. Doctors discovered an an infection in his backbone.
“I used to be utterly paralyzed from my waist down,” Abrahamson stated.
“I ended up getting surgical procedure that opened up my again after which they came upon my backbone had been deteriorating in order that they needed to rebuild it.”
Abrahamson was informed he would by no means stroll once more and was despatched to the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital to assist him study the abilities he would want whereas utilizing his wheelchair.
“I simply compelled myself to not suppose that approach, that I’d be caught in that chair,” he stated. ” I stored pondering that if I simply maintain engaged on it sometime it might come again and at some point it did.
“They taught me sufficient abilities to make me unbiased in my chair, however I needed greater than that.”
Abrahamson went from utilizing a wheelchair to standing.
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“Even standing was onerous,” he stated.
He then took just a few steps, and finally moved from utilizing a walker to strolling poles to strolling independently.
“Once I stood up, then I took a step, then a few extra steps,” he stated. “I stored working onerous by the ache.
“It was a scary factor to fall, regardless that we fall down our entire lives, proper? All of a sudden, due to an harm, I’m scared to take a look at the bottom.”
But he pushed by and his dedication impressed his therapists.
“He actually exceeded our expectations,” stated Oline Okholm, a remedy assistant on the Glenrose. “From one session to a different, we may see that he had improved as a result of he had been working so onerous at dwelling.”
“I believe as therapists, we are likely to attempt to be cautiously optimistic,” Asya Shiloff-Rogers, bodily therapist, informed Global News.
“It’s onerous to know the place they’re going to finish up. Eric was somebody who actually stunned me. “
That dedication, and a need to attach with different sufferers, has earned Abrahamson a 2025 Glenrose Courage Award.
“Even within the hallway when he was strolling and out of breath and struggling, if somebody he knew or acknowledged that was one other affected person or a employees member handed by, he would say like, ‘Hey, have an incredible day,’ or if it was a affected person, he’d say, ‘You’re doing so good, you look nice,’” Shiloff-Rogers stated.
“I believe that stage of engagement was simply actually inspiring.”
Abrahamson stated he wouldn’t be the place he’s at the moment with out the employees on the Glenrose.
“If they’d have simply despatched me dwelling in my chair I most likely would have simply stayed in my chair,” he stated, crediting the Glenrose with serving to him “push by the ache.”
Abrahamson will probably be honoured with a Glenrose Courage Award on Nov. 4.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
