GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Just over two years ago, 51-year-old Todd Abbott suddenly collapsed and slipped into a deep coma after a brain aneurism. Life as Abbott and his family knew it was gone.
Until Dec. 4, 2011, he was in great physical condition and had just ran a marathon when he woke up with such a severe headache.
His wife was going to take him to the hospital, but before they even left he collapsed and in the ambulance on the way, he went into a deep coma.
Todd only had a 10 percent chance of survival, but beat the odds. He is not only a husband and a father but a hero to the nurses at Spectrum Health’s Neuro Rehab Facility.
When Todd was ready for rehab, a lot of programs didn’t specialize in the early rehab he needed, so he made the trek to Grand Rapids.
Todd had to start completely from scratch, learning everything from talking to even opening his eyes and wiggling his toes.
He spent three to four hours a day in rehab for eight months.
With a strong support system and family by his side, Todd had his second shot at life.
His wife, Kim, says she truly couldn’t be prouder of him. His visit to the hospital Friday wasn’t only to see the staff but to share his story with other families going through similar struggles to give them a sense of hope.
Todd says he has more goals, like one day walking without a cane or walker. The nurses say they think in a year he will be able to do just that.
