One night, Willie McKnight Jr. woke up and couldn’t breathe. It was difficult to move, but he did his best to push himself off the bed in order to call 911.
“It was a scary feeling,” he recalls, “especially when you live alone.”
He was treated for pneumonia and heart failure. Unfortunately, that was just the start of his health complications. Due to his diagnosis, he developed persistent neck and shoulder pains.
McKnight suffered a cerebral stroke a year later. “Now, I can’t run or do things fast anymore, he says.” His health complications forced him to quit his security technician profession. It was a career he had been building for 30 years. He is now unemployed.
Despite these challenges, he found hope in receiving outpatient therapy care at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital. He didn’t expect much from the outset.
“I didn’t think I could get rid of this pain. I’ve learned to live with it for so many years,” McKnight says. With a determination to beat the odds, he is now, miraculously, pain-free. “I can’t believe it. They got the job done!”
He is, first and foremost, grateful to his care team. “My physical therapists, Valerie, Cliff, and Alicia were courteous, knowledgeable, and patient with me. They explained my condition and treatment in a way that I could understand. After seeing what feels like thousands of doctors, most wouldn’t even listen to me or take my concerns seriously. My team at MedStar Health did. They asked me questions and did their best.”
Now discharged, McKnight has a therapy regimen he must stick to in order to keep improving his body. “I’m very excited for the progress. For the first time in a long time, I feel hopeful.