There are many moments in a rehab therapist’s career that reaffirm that they have chosen the perfect career path. An occupational therapist shared one such touching experience from her time at RehabVisions involving a 23-year-old patient with a spinal cord injury.

Throughout many occupational therapy sessions, a patient expressed ongoing concerns about her challenges with self-feeding; specifically, how embarrassed she felt eating in front of others due to her fear of spilling food. Despite using assistive devices — including built-up handles and curved utensils — the issue persisted.

While researching how she could help improve her patient’s quality of life, our therapist discovered the LiftWare Starter Kit. Using some of the same cutting-edge technology used in phone cameras, this innovative, self-leveling utensil helped prevent food spills.

Our therapist and a group of her co-workers decided to purchase the utensil as a graduation present for the patient who had recently earned a bachelor’s degree in Family and Child Life Studies despite dealing with her rehab challenges.

After receiving the utensil, the patient was able to eat various foods without spilling a drop — a small feat to many, but one that brought her immense joy and a renewed sense of independence.

Our therapist and her colleagues had initially told the patient that the utensil was acquired for demo purposes only —  but in reality, they had each contributed to purchase it for her. The patient, who had been reluctant to have to part with the life-changing utensil, was overwhelmed with gratitude.

The following day, the patient sent our therapist a video of herself confidently eating lunch in her workplace lunchroom. She shared how the gift provided her with more independence than she had ever anticipated, leaving our occupational therapist proud and fulfilled in the role she played in helping her patient live her best life.

Through this simple, yet extremely thoughtful gesture, our occupational therapist bestowed not only a gift, but a remarkable sense of independence to her patient.

We are so proud of the compassionate and highly-skilled care provided by RehabVisions therapists across the country whose dedication continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the patients they serve.