{"id":26491,"date":"2022-10-24T12:02:29","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T16:02:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=26491"},"modified":"2022-10-24T12:02:45","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T16:02:45","slug":"student-goes-from-paralyzed-to-polk-state-ota-orlando-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2022\/10\/24\/student-goes-from-paralyzed-to-polk-state-ota-orlando-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Student goes from paralyzed to Polk State OTA &#038; Orlando Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/chase-news-05-800x450-1.webp?resize=800%2C450&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26492\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chase Roberts was told he would never walk again. Now, he\u2019s not only on his own two feet \u2014 he is also helping others recover from traumatic injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roberts, a student in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.polk.edu\/occupational-therapy-assistant\/\">Polk State College\u2019s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program<\/a>, is completing his final clinical rotation at Orlando Health (Orlando) Regional Medical Center Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation, the place where he recovered from his paralysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.polk.edu\/charter-high-schools\">The Polk State Lakeland Collegiate High School<\/a>&nbsp;2009 graduate broke his neck in a car wreck in January 2016, which left him wheelchair-bound as a quadriplegic. He suffered a C-2 level spinal cord injury; such a severe injury is often fatal due to its impact on the ability to breathe independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt first, it was about just trying to stay alive,\u201d Roberts reflected. \u201cMy lungs weren\u2019t fully functioning, so a lot of therapy was involved with respiration. We could worry about rehabbing later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was paralyzed from the neck down. I had doctors tell me, \u2018Go home and widen your hallways, you\u2019re never going to move anything below your chin again.\u2019 I was distraught.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A wiggle of his big toe provided hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It brought him to Orlando Health ORMC Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation, where he underwent intense occupational and physical therapies for seven weeks before entering outpatient treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"vimeo-player\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/762269691?h=864aed2024\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy biggest sources of hope were my therapists,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cMy therapists knew the signs to look for and what we could expand on to improve my recovery. When they got me up and walking for the first time, I bawled my eyes out. They never gave up on me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also inspired his career path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prior to his injury, Roberts had completed his&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.polk.edu\/academics\/\">Polk State Associate in Arts<\/a>&nbsp;degree and was working as a manager at a local restaurant chain, \u201cjust figuring life out like young people do.\u201d Returning to Polk State was a no-brainer for Roberts, who never lost touch with his mentors. This included Professor of Biology Lee Caldecutt, who had been his teacher in the Collegiate Program more than a decade earlier. They remained in touch of the years and Roberts decided to enroll in Caldecutt\u2019s Anatomy and Physiology I course, hoping to move toward a career in healthcare administration in a therapeutic environment. Caldecutt connected him with the director of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.polk.edu\/occupational-therapy-assistant\/\">Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMeeting Chase again [as an adult] was surreal because he was so very different \u2014 yet so the same,\u201d Caldecutt explained. \u201cHe had the same great sense of humor, but was also so driven and so focused, and he wanted to be the very best at what he was going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His return to Orlando Health ORMC Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation was a surreal experience for his therapists too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ll never forget the day he said he wanted to come back to Orlando Health to work,\u201d Clinical Specialist Kristen Cezat said. \u201cI thought it was an amazing goal, but I don\u2019t always get to see people make the full recovery like Chase made. We supported every second of that goal and I was just hopeful that one day that goal would come true.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s a whole new relationship now that we\u2019re getting to build,\u201d she added of Chase\u2019s return to the hospital as a student. \u201cIt\u2019s fun to transition through Chase\u2019s journey and see so many different aspects from therapist, to friend, to now colleague.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roberts shared that in addition to the quality education, rigorous training, and supportive faculty of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.polk.edu\/occupational-therapy-assistant\/\">Polk State OTA\u2019s<\/a>&nbsp;Program, the College also provides an abundance of valuable clinical education opportunities, like the opportunity to intern at Orlando Health ORMC, through the partnerships fostered with local hospitals and healthcare facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPolk State is a very unique school. I can\u2019t imagine a lot of places like it,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom the people in admissions all the way to my current program director, everyone has been so helpful in getting me to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI hope that anyone considering<a href=\"https:\/\/www.polk.edu\/occupational-therapy-assistant\/\">&nbsp;Polk State\u2019s OTA Program<\/a>&nbsp;takes that leap because it is one of the most amazing jobs you could ever have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Roberts, it is rewarding to give back to others in ways that his therapists helped him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese people have gone through the most traumatic thing they will ever go through. It\u2019s your job to put them back together and teach them how to be a person again because they couldn\u2019t feel farther from the point. I know I did,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I can extend some hope to somebody, even in the most minute amount, that gives me fulfillment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was also fulfilling for Roberts to recently participate in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.polk.edu\/occupational-therapy-assistant\/\">Polk State OTA\u2019s<\/a>&nbsp;pinning ceremony in which members of the upcoming graduating class are honored with white coats as an initiation into the profession. Mandy Cilliers, a licensed occupational therapist for Winter Haven Hospital who provided primary care for Roberts during outpatient treatment, bestowed Roberts with his white coat on September 15. Caldecutt also celebrated with Roberts at the pinning ceremony on the Winter Haven Campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe\u2019s grateful for the opportunity to live,\u201d Caldecutt said. \u201c[He has this] way of flipping it to say, \u2018This is the best thing that has happened to me.\u2019 Most people would not describe becoming a quadriplegic as the \u2018best thing that has ever happened\u2019 to [them]. When you hear that, it changes you as a person. Knowing Chase\u2026 has been a life-changing experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He fulfilled the promise he made to his therapists at both Winter Haven Hospital and Orlando Health ORMC Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation by returning to occupational therapy as a practitioner during his clinical studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBeing back here as a practitioner has been a surreal experience. Working with the same practitioners on the same team I had almost seven years ago has been enlightening,\u201d Roberts expressed. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to everyone who has gone out of their way to help and teach me. I have learned more about spinal cord injuries in the last three weeks here than I did for more than seven years of having one myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roberts will receive his&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.polk.edu\/occupational-therapy-assistant\/\">Associate in Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant<\/a>&nbsp;in December and plans to complete six more classes to achieve the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.polk.edu\/academics\/degrees-and-certificates\/bachelor-degree-programs\/\">Bachelor of Applied Science<\/a>&nbsp;in Supervision in Management with a concentration in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.polk.edu\/academics\/degrees-and-certificates\/bachelor-degree-programs\/healthcare-administration\/\">Healthcare Administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He currently serves as an anatomy and physiology tutor for the Lakeland Campus Science Department. This job is especially meaningful, as his mother, Kelly, works in the College\u2019s Teaching Learning Computing Center as a Teaching Lab Assistant and is now a colleague; she has been a constant source of support and encouragement throughout the entire process of recovery. He is simultaneously completing his final clinical rotations at Orlando Health ORMC Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation, where he serves on the same floor where he was once a patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI had a patient in the same room that I was in, and it was a little scary walking into that room again,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cBut it was the best feeling to go in there as a teacher of somebody going through a similar issue that I had because I can identify with them and coach them through things that were best for me. I preface it with every spinal cord injury is different. I tell them don\u2019t look at what I had as a metric for what you have, but I do understand the symptoms you\u2019re going through, and I will help you with everything I have been taught.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to achieving his degree and becoming a licensed occupational therapy assistant, Roberts aspires to raise awareness about spinal cord injuries. An avid Superman enthusiast, he cites the man and hero as inspiration: \u201cChristopher Reeve changed the game. Now that he\u2019s gone, somebody needs to pick up that torch and take it a few more steps,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m going to do everything I can in order to be that person.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chase Roberts was told he would never walk again. Now, he\u2019s not only on his own two feet \u2014 he is also helping others recover from traumatic injuries. Roberts, a&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"0","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","default_image_id":71799,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[33],"tags":[3744],"class_list":["post-26491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seu-news","tag-student-goes-from-paralyzed-to-polk-state-ota-orlando-health"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26491\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}