James' story
James Cuomo has always been the kind of person who works hard and takes care of others. A husband of 21 years, father of two and restaurant owner in Watchung, New Jersey, James lived a busy life—until bacterial meningitis and a resulting stroke nearly took everything away.
It started with what seemed like a minor earache and some hearing issues. Within a day, James was vomiting and spiking a high fever. His wife Violeta called 911. Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. Pressure had built in James’ brain that required surgery to relieve. He was placed in a medically induced coma to recover. He was on a ventilator and feeding tube and, at one point, doctors gave him just a 1% chance of survival.
James pulled through, but he was in rough shape. “I couldn’t move anything. I couldn’t move my hands, I couldn’t move my legs and I couldn’t sit straight up because it was so tiring,” he recalled.
When James was medically stable, he went to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - Chester for the next phase of his recovery. He and his family chose the facility because of its reputation for attentive, personalized care.
Upon arrival, James required full support. He couldn’t sit up, stand or walk. Therapy would be a challenge, and James said he didn’t know what to expect.
In fact, his goal on arrival was “to run out of here,” and—at the time—he was serious. “They said that it could be up to a year for a full recovery, and I didn’t believe it,” said James, “But now I completely understand where they’re coming from.” His physician-led group of therapists developed a plan to help him regain mobility and independence.
Slowly, things started to change.
In physical therapy, James used a tilt table to improve tolerance to being upright. As the name suggests, a tilt table gradually brings you upright, but it also has a feature that works the range of motion in the legs while the table is in different positions, from reclined to vertical. He also used a Barihab mat table with a standing frame to help improve his sitting balance and standing tolerance.
When he was ready, James began to walk using a body-weight support system to help him regain his gait and to improve balance. His therapist incorporated a device for function electrical stimulation to stimulate his leg muscles while walking. Mild electrical impulses help reactivate muscles and nerves after an injury.
Occupational therapy focused on improving James’ functional vision, using exercises to address the double and blurry vision that lingered after his illness and stroke. These exercises strengthen the muscles in the eyes, improve eye coordination and help the eyes work together when focusing. Occupational therapists also applied supportive taping and electrical stimulation to manage shoulder pain from a previous injury that worsened while James was in the coma.
Meanwhile, speech therapy incorporated electrical stimulation and biofeedback using a tool that helped James strengthen his voice, better control his vocal volume and practice breathing while vocalizing.
It wasn’t easy. James had to learn to rely on others—something he wasn’t used to. Recovery took time and was sometimes a slow and painful process.
James credits the staff with keeping him motivated. He remembered his physical therapist pushing him out of his comfort zone. One morning as he was preparing to be moved into a mechanical lift, she came in and declared that he was going to start moving on his own. He didn’t feel ready. But he was. “She weened me off of [the lift], and had me transferring… then walking with walker!” said James.
By the time James was discharged, the changes were dramatic. He could get in and out of bed independently, groom and feed himself with minimal help and dress with supervision. He progressed from requiring a mechanical lift to move between surfaces to walking 200 feet with a rolling walker and brace. He tackled stairs, curbs and even practiced getting in and out of a car.
“Walking, stairs, getting out of the car—those things made me very happy, those things made me feel like I could go home,” he said. “Knowing how to go up and down stairs or a curb with the walker showed me that I can survive in the world.”
Plus, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation’s Care Partner Program had prepared Violeta to help James when he returned home. “I don’t think she missed a single therapy session,” he said with appreciation. “She was always right there for me.”
While recovery continues, James is heading back to the life he fought to reclaim—one with his family and the restaurant he’s worked at for nearly two decades and recently bought. He can’t wait to spend more time with his kids. “My daughter is going to be 13 and my son is 8,” he said. He’s grateful for their support and their patience during such a turbulent period. “They are very good kids—I can’t believe how good they are.”
About the journey, he said: “I’ve already made so much progress. It’s not easy, but I’m doing it.”
It started with what seemed like a minor earache and some hearing issues. Within a day, James was vomiting and spiking a high fever. His wife Violeta called 911. Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. Pressure had built in James’ brain that required surgery to relieve. He was placed in a medically induced coma to recover. He was on a ventilator and feeding tube and, at one point, doctors gave him just a 1% chance of survival.
James pulled through, but he was in rough shape. “I couldn’t move anything. I couldn’t move my hands, I couldn’t move my legs and I couldn’t sit straight up because it was so tiring,” he recalled.
When James was medically stable, he went to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - Chester for the next phase of his recovery. He and his family chose the facility because of its reputation for attentive, personalized care.
Upon arrival, James required full support. He couldn’t sit up, stand or walk. Therapy would be a challenge, and James said he didn’t know what to expect.
In fact, his goal on arrival was “to run out of here,” and—at the time—he was serious. “They said that it could be up to a year for a full recovery, and I didn’t believe it,” said James, “But now I completely understand where they’re coming from.” His physician-led group of therapists developed a plan to help him regain mobility and independence.
Slowly, things started to change.
In physical therapy, James used a tilt table to improve tolerance to being upright. As the name suggests, a tilt table gradually brings you upright, but it also has a feature that works the range of motion in the legs while the table is in different positions, from reclined to vertical. He also used a Barihab mat table with a standing frame to help improve his sitting balance and standing tolerance.
When he was ready, James began to walk using a body-weight support system to help him regain his gait and to improve balance. His therapist incorporated a device for function electrical stimulation to stimulate his leg muscles while walking. Mild electrical impulses help reactivate muscles and nerves after an injury.
Occupational therapy focused on improving James’ functional vision, using exercises to address the double and blurry vision that lingered after his illness and stroke. These exercises strengthen the muscles in the eyes, improve eye coordination and help the eyes work together when focusing. Occupational therapists also applied supportive taping and electrical stimulation to manage shoulder pain from a previous injury that worsened while James was in the coma.
Meanwhile, speech therapy incorporated electrical stimulation and biofeedback using a tool that helped James strengthen his voice, better control his vocal volume and practice breathing while vocalizing.
It wasn’t easy. James had to learn to rely on others—something he wasn’t used to. Recovery took time and was sometimes a slow and painful process.
James credits the staff with keeping him motivated. He remembered his physical therapist pushing him out of his comfort zone. One morning as he was preparing to be moved into a mechanical lift, she came in and declared that he was going to start moving on his own. He didn’t feel ready. But he was. “She weened me off of [the lift], and had me transferring… then walking with walker!” said James.
By the time James was discharged, the changes were dramatic. He could get in and out of bed independently, groom and feed himself with minimal help and dress with supervision. He progressed from requiring a mechanical lift to move between surfaces to walking 200 feet with a rolling walker and brace. He tackled stairs, curbs and even practiced getting in and out of a car.
“Walking, stairs, getting out of the car—those things made me very happy, those things made me feel like I could go home,” he said. “Knowing how to go up and down stairs or a curb with the walker showed me that I can survive in the world.”
Plus, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation’s Care Partner Program had prepared Violeta to help James when he returned home. “I don’t think she missed a single therapy session,” he said with appreciation. “She was always right there for me.”
While recovery continues, James is heading back to the life he fought to reclaim—one with his family and the restaurant he’s worked at for nearly two decades and recently bought. He can’t wait to spend more time with his kids. “My daughter is going to be 13 and my son is 8,” he said. He’s grateful for their support and their patience during such a turbulent period. “They are very good kids—I can’t believe how good they are.”
About the journey, he said: “I’ve already made so much progress. It’s not easy, but I’m doing it.”