Andrea's Story

“They taught me to walk again, and how to be a better caregiver.“ - Andrea Morris

Andrea Morris has worked as a nurse for 35 years. She says it was hard when she was no longer the caregiver but the one being cared for.

Andrea doesn’t remember much about September 2022, other than she was driving on Outer Drive in Detroit, a car was speeding in the lane next to her and she ended up crashing headfirst into a median tree.

“An ambulance took me to the hospital where I had immediate surgery to repair my broken right tibia. A few days later, I had a second surgery to put a pin in my heel bone.”

For several weeks she was bed-bound while she healed. She couldn’t put pressure on her right leg or foot, her only movement was wiggling her toes.

“Working at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, I knew the best place for my recovery was at DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM).”

From the minute she started as an inpatient, Andrea says it was the right place for her. Her therapists were so knowledgeable. They knew just how to push her to get her from a wheelchair to a walker to a cane. Today, she’s using nothing other than a shoe orthotic.

“They taught me to walk again, and how to be a better caregiver. All my therapists were such great listeners – they took everything I said to heart and even picked up on my non-verbal cues. If I was frustrated or struggling, they knew it and helped me through it. As I return to work, I hope I will be as patient and attentive as they were.”

Andrea continues to do many of the exercises she learned at RIM now at home and a local gym. She’s looking forward to returning to work and continuing to make a difference in her patients’ lives.