Setbacks from SCIs don’t slow Gary down

Two major accidents in 25 years left Gary Good with spinal cord and back injuries.

However, his determination and, for the last decade, the support of Good Shepherd Rehabilitation have left Gary feeling stronger now than he has in years.

Gary’s journey began in 2000, when he fractured his top two cervical vertebrae and damaged his spinal cord in an accident with an 18-wheeler in New Jersey, where he was living and working as a police officer.

“Doctors told me I would never walk again,” Gary said of his spinal cord injury (SCI). “I had the same injury as Christopher Reeve, fracturing my C-5 and C-6 vertebrae, but it was an incomplete spinal cord injury.”

However, Gary defied the odds and not only started walking but returned to work in 2001.

He continued working in state government until 2013, when a second accident resulted in a major setback.

“A bus hit my assigned government van head-on,” Gary said. “I re-fractured my neck and broke vertebrae in my lower back at L5 and S1. It required many surgeries that included a rod with screws in my lower back to fuse the damaged vertebrae from the impact. At that point, I had to retire. We moved to Pennsylvania soon after that, and I started looking for therapy services.”

That search led to a doctor’s referral to Good Shepherd. Gary began receiving outpatient therapy at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation – Center Valley, which is near his home in Coopersburg.

At the Center Valley location, physical and occupational therapists worked with Gary to increase his strength, flexibility and range of motion. Therapy also helped him rehabilitate his left side, where he walked with a limp because of his accidents, and address nerve damage in his hand.

“I was walking when I started at Good Shepherd, but I was not as mobile as I am today,” he said. “I did not have the flexibility or range of motion that I have today. Good Shepherd has made such a difference in my quality of life over the years. It is 100 percent better.”

Gary also sought outpatient rehabilitation after rotator cuff surgery, which occurred following the accidents.

“For me, Good Shepherd is like family,” Gary said. “We are on a first-name basis. They have helped me and my family. The staff have a tremendous work ethic, and they take such pride in their work. They pushed me to the limit and built my confidence up.”

Today, while Gary might have retired, he is not sitting around. He walks independently and maintains his family’s 15-acre Lehigh Valley property, cutting the grass on a zero-turn mower and doing his own landscaping work on his property.

“I’m working harder now that I am retired than I did when I was working,” he said, laughing.

Gary continues to set goals for himself, including living a healthy lifestyle. Part of that involves returning to Good Shepherd for further outpatient therapy.

“I keep going back to Good Shepherd for upkeep so that I can keep up my quality of life,” he said.

Gary credits Good Shepherd for playing a significant role in his recovery journey.

“First and foremost, everyone at Good Shepherd is so kind, knowledgeable and compassionate,” Gary said. “The sky is the limit with them. They do as much as they can to make your life better than you entered.”

He also shares his story with others, hoping that his journey of resilience and perseverance inspires others facing challenges.

“When limitations are put on your life in general or when people are told they cannot do certain things, some people tend to give up,” Gary said. “I just want to encourage people in that situation to keep going and continue to seek physical therapy in an encouraging environment like Good Shepherd to maintain a better quality of life”