When the minivan was hit by the train, Maria’s life crumbled. She lost her daughter, her son-in-law, and her 5-year-old granddaughter Evelyn.

Three grandchildren would survive. A few months later, after being discharged from a local major medical center, two of them would find themselves aboard the S.S. La Rabida: Edgar, who was 9-years-old at the time, and his little brother, 7-year-old Julian. They were recovering from severe injuries – Edgar had a significant traumatic brain injury and seizures.

Their grandmother recalls coming to visit them initially. When they weren’t in their rooms, she’d worry. But she would soon learn it was because the boys were busy – swimming in the therapy pool, “playing” with their care teams or meeting with a behavioral health specialist to help navigate their new realities. Many times, our staff is so good at what they do, patients don’t even realize they are “in therapy” – they think they are simply having adventures.

Julian was able to return home, but his brother Edgar had a longer road to recovery.

“He didn’t know how to talk, he didn’t know how to walk, speak or say any words. But the therapists, counselors, social workers, everyone, they treat you like a family,” Maria says. She credits that family atmosphere for changing Edgar’s life.

“He’s a champ,” says Jenny Winberg, a speech therapist. She and the rest of his care team worked tirelessly to make sure Edgar could master eating, cognitive tasks, and functional mobility. Now, they say, it’s hard to believe he walks around cracking jokes when he comes for appointments.

“I’m so proud of him,” Jenny says.

“It’s been a huge change since the first day that I saw him when he was an inpatient here,” Kasey Kotsiris, occupational therapist, remembers. “He was having a really hard time even being awake, listening to any of the things that we were saying. He wasn’t responding,” she says.

Now, though, Edgar talks their ears off, runs everywhere he wants to go and is truly engaged with his care team. He’s back in school now, too, and he continues to receive outpatient therapies focusing on advancing his mobility, daily living, feeding and cognitive skills.

“This hospital offers healing and recovery from some of the most challenging and scary and difficult times that people go through,” Casey says. “It’s a really unique place.”

“Now, you can see him walking by himself, picking things up from the floor. Even cleaning his room. Just sneaking things, doing things little kids do, and just being a normal kid,” says Edgar’s Aunt Berenice.

Being a ‘normal kid’ is always the goal as we try to raise possibilities for all of our patients.