After a life-changing fall, Richard Thames finds hope through rehabilitation

When Richard Thames thought he might never hold a camera again, his rehabilitation team at TriStar Skyline Medical Center helped him focus on returning to the people and passions he loves.

An avid photographer and student in a local community college photography program, Richard’s camera is more than a hobby. It is a creative outlet, a goal for the future and a meaningful part of his life. After a traumatic spinal cord injury left him unable to walk and with very limited use of his hands, Richard worried that part of his life might be out of reach.

"Photography is something I love, and they helped me work toward being able to do that again," Richard said.

Richard was injured during an ordinary evening walk with his dog. While walking through his yard one night, Richard tripped over a tree branch and fell face-first to the ground. The fall left him unable to move his arms or legs.

Unable to get up, Richard rolled himself toward his porch and struggled up two steps without the use of his hands before kicking the door to get help. He was rushed to TriStar Skyline Medical Center, where physicians determined he had suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury and fractured vertebrae. Falls are among the leading causes of traumatic spinal cord injuries in the United States, and Richard quickly learned how devastating those injuries can be.

"The fear I felt when I was calling for help and couldn't move my hands at all is something I still remember vividly," Richard said. "I thought my life was over."

A retired Air Force veteran and longtime surgical first assistant and scrub technician, Richard suddenly found himself on the other side of healthcare. After surgery, he spent time in the trauma intensive care unit, neuro intensive care unit and progressive care unit before beginning intensive rehabilitation.

When he arrived in rehabilitation, he could not walk and had very limited use of his hands. His rehabilitation team took time to learn what mattered most to him and built his therapy plan around the goals that would help him return to the life he loved.

Because photography was one of Richard’s priorities, his therapy included exercises to rebuild the strength, coordination and fine motor skills needed to operate a camera, hold equipment and regain confidence in his hands. The personalized approach gave him something meaningful to work toward during some of the most challenging days of his recovery.

"To see how far I've come from where I started gives me hope," he said. "When I got here, I couldn't move my hands. I couldn't walk. Now I'm doing so much more."

Even while recovering in the hospital, Richard remained focused on his future. Determined to stay on track with school, he completed coursework from his hospital bed and earned a perfect score on a final exam.

Over the weeks that followed, Richard regained the ability to walk, feed himself and complete many daily tasks that once felt out of reach.

"The staff here genuinely cares," he said. "Everyone was so great. They pushed me, and they were with me every step of the way."

Richard's recovery continues, but he is already returning to the things that matter most to him. Recently, he enjoyed his first outing since the accident at Radnor Lake State Park and has returned to TriStar Skyline to visit the team who cared for him.

Richard is focused on continuing outpatient therapy, completing his photography studies, spending time with his grandchildren and returning to the hobbies and activities he enjoys most.

For Richard, recovery has been about more than regaining strength. It has been about reclaiming a future he feared had been taken from him and rediscovering the people and passions that make life meaningful.

"Now I have hope," Richard said.