Todd's Story

“They gave me every tool to recover.” – Todd Williams

Running ten miles was nothing for 17-year Navy veteran, Dr. Todd Williams. He was in great shape, watched his diet and led a healthy life. In July of 2021, he couldn’t believe he was having a stroke.

“Fortunately, I was home and so was my wife. She got me to the hospital within 15 minutes. I had a rare type of stroke resulting in Wallenberg Syndrome or damage to my brainstem.”

He was left only able to walk a few steps with assistance. He had trouble swallowing and had unrelenting nausea because of vision changes. After ten days in ICU, he was transferred to DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM).

“From day one, I felt like I was the personal mission of my physical therapist. He was absolutely brilliant. He researched and researched Wallenberg Syndrome. He came to our sessions with academic articles and incorporated exercises and therapies to challenge me. As a radiologist, I knew I had nine months to really hit this thing hard and make the most of my recovery and my therapist was ready to go!”

As an inpatient, Todd took advantage of every opportunity his therapists offered, usually putting in extra time. After transitioning to outpatient therapy, he worked himself so hard he would sleep when his wife drove him home. At every step of the way, his therapists went above and beyond to help him get better.

“They knew I was determined to be 100%, so they threw all their energy into it. Yesterday, I played 36 holes of golf. I’m walking, driving and back to work. They gave me every tool to recover and I’m back…for that, I am eternally grateful to RIM and my team.”