Madonna Rehab in Lincoln, NE

Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital

5401 South

Lincoln, Nebraska

 

On Friday I was graciously given a tour of Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was treated to two hours of an amazing journey through a rehabilitation dream.

For 16 months I dreamed of a facility like this for Brenna. As I listened to the Director of Rehabilitation explain their philosophy, I knew I had found a hospital that most fulfilled the dreams I dreamed for Brenna.

When I saw the enclosed play/therapy courtyard for the kids, where kids could play and receive therapy without danger of getting hurt, I wished that for every child with a brain injury.  Their class room area was geared to help students relearn the skills they would need when they go back to school. Familiarizing patients to the work force. Robotics for the extremities. So many things that would be a positive for brain injury rehabilitation.

It isn’t enough just to HAVE these things. Madonna has done their best to make all things resemble the environment to which a patient may return some day. Even the cafeteria has been redesigned to resemble places a patient will encounter: a 50’s style area with booths, a bistro section, and an internet café. I was awed and inspired.

This hospital does research on practical therapies to see what works and what doesn’t, what changes to equipment would make the equipment more affordable to other hospitals.

They are doing aroma therapies. From their observations, using mint stimulates and cinnamon relaxes an agitated patient. That was good to know.

I never knew this hospital existed. Had I known this hospital was here, I would have taken Brenna in a heartbeat.  I would have moved heaven and earth to get her to Nebraska.

I have a dream now of a hospital like this for Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana that focuses on brain injury rehabilitation: a hospital that will not turn away a patient with a hypoxic-anoxic brain injury, a hospital that understands that healing the brain is a long process, a hospital that believes family involvement is a critical piece to the puzzle of recovery.

I thank God for leading me to Madonna. It is too late for Brenna, but it is not too late for others who come after her. Brenna would want her mother to do what would be best for others who encounter the same obstacles she did.