When White Rock residents Stan and Nancy Thompson retired a few years ago, they wasted no time in checking things off their “bucket list.” After 30 years of raising a family and running a business together, they were ready to see the world. This led to trips throughout Europe, extended stays at their winter home in Arizona, and small boat cruises through the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand.
“We always said we better get things done now, because you never know when something is going to come up and bite you,” recalls Stan. “And then it did. It was a surprise that it was Nancy because she had never been sick more than two days in her life.”
A little over two months ago, the Thompsons’ life was upended when Nancy experienced a stroke. After a week in acute care to diagnose and stabilize her condition, she was moved to Surrey Memorial Hospital’s Stroke Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, which is located at Laurel Place Care Centre. Here, she spent five weeks with a team of specialists who helped her regain independence and prepare for returning home.
“Truthfully, Nancy didn’t have a very good quality of life when she arrived at Laurel Place. She could move around a little bit, but not much,” says Stan. “When she left five weeks later, she walked out of there with a walker. Now she has an increasingly very good quality of life. We try to get down to the beach for a walk every day, and she’s back to having lunch with her girlfriends.”
Surrey Memorial Hospital’s 20-bed Stroke Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit is a specialized program for patients from communities throughout the region. It consists of a diverse team of specialists, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, rehab assistants, recreational therapists, a social worker, pharmacist, dietitian, as well as nurses and physicians.
Nancy’s physiotherapist was Kate O’Leary. Kate worked with Nancy to support her in regaining functional movement such as walking and climbing stairs. “I try to incorporate meaningful tasks that are important to the patient. Do they like golf? Or dancing? And then I bring that into the therapy,” says Kate. “Stan and Nancy liked playing balloon tennis. I get such joy watching people laugh and feel safe during a time when they’re going through such a huge experience.”
Nancy’s hard work and determination paid off as she made remarkable strides during her time at Laurel Place. The Thompsons credit Nancy’s progress, in part, to Kate and the team who supported her. “We couldn’t have better things to say about the therapists at Laurel Place. They genuinely care. When a patient achieves something beyond what they have previously been doing, they cheer and make them feel good, celebrating the accomplishment, which is so important to people working through rehabilitation.”
Stan and Nancy were so grateful for their experience that they decided to make a donation to Surrey Hospitals Foundation for therapy needs at Laurel Place. “They helped us out so much, we wanted to help them out a little bit. We want it to go to whatever the therapists need to make their job a little easier.”
These days, the Thompsons are looking forward to a Christmas at home with their children and grandchildren. “Our oldest son is coming up from L.A. We also have a son here. He and his wife have four kids, including three-year-old twins, so that’s going to be busy,” says Stan with a smile.
