Cathy Blackwell

A retired elementary school teacher, Cathy Blackwell lives in Bedford, IN with her husband. Cathy has two children — a son and a daughter — and is the proud grandmother to five grandchildren.

One January day, Cathy and her husband were out in their pole barn when she fell. “I hit my head hard, but didn’t think anything about the injury,” Cathy said. But over the next several hours, she began to experience dizziness, headaches, and shoulder pain.

The next day, Cathy was admitted to Bloomington Hospital where she was diagnosed with an interventricular hemorrhage. She spent several days in the acute care hospital before transferring to Southern Indiana Rehabilitation Hospital (SIRH).

Cathy arrived at SIRH with decreased strength and was non-weight bearing. Working hard with her therapists, Cathy made great progress during her stay at SIRH.

Though visitation is restricted due to COVID precautions, Cathy still had the support of her loved ones. Cathy’s family would drive over from Bedford to visit outside her window. On one visit, Cathy’s sister was so happy to see her progress, she shed tears of joy.

“My stay has been excellent,” Cathy shared. “The staff is kind and the therapists have been so patient with me as I get better each day. I am very grateful for everything everyone has done.”

After several weeks of inpatient rehabilitation at SIRH, Cathy joyfully returned home to her husband.