“My therapists told me they were part of my team and that we’ll recover together.” - Sherkettia 

Sherkettia (Keta) was sharing laughs with a friend while standing next to her car. They both heard a speeding car coming toward them and tried to jump to the sidewalk, but Keta didn’t make it in time. The car crashed, pinning her between two parked cars.

“There was blood. My husband inched our car back and I saw my right leg was sliced open and left leg was bent. I kept telling everyone to just straighten it and I would be able to stand. They said, ‘No,’ and called EMS.”

Keta had a broken left tibia that was sticking out of her skin, a broken femur, knee and arm. She had three surgeries to repair her injuries.

“When it was time to move to a rehab facility, I told them to take me to DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM). I work at DMC Detroit Receiving in the orthopedic department and know there’s no better place.”

Keta’s inpatient rehab was particularly challenging because she couldn’t bear weight on her left leg or right arm. During her recovery, she missed important family milestones and was determined to get back to her family and work. She set goals and through prayer, positivity and hard work, she pushed through pain and challenges and within six months, was walking unaided. 

Her journey wasn’t easy. She had several setbacks including her incisions opening, an infection, scar tissue buildup, back pain and a torn ankle ligament, but through it all, has remained positive and in May 2024, one year later, returned to work.

“From the beginning, my therapists told me they were part of my team and that we’ll recover together. They are still by my side in outpatient therapy, working as hard as me. There’s no way I would be where I’m at today without them.”