Crotched Mountain > Rehabilitation > Specialty Hospital > PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES               

Meet Matt Pratt

Mathew Pratt came to Crotched Mountain at age fifteen after a car accident fractured more than twenty bones, dislocated both clavicles, broke his pelvis and fractured his neck at a crucial point near the spine. He had been in a coma for twenty-seven days, and it was unclear whether he would walk or talk again due to his injuries. After several weeks of intensive rehabilitation therapy at Crotched Mountain, Matt's recovery was remarkable. He regained his cognitive, walking and speaking skills. He returned to his high school after missing only one semester. He plans to get his driver's license. Crotched Mountain physical therapist Judy Ilacqua sensed Matt's potential for progress early on. She and the rehabilitation team integrated their therapies to bring about the fastest recovery. "There were times when both of his thighs were shaking, and we had to tell him to stop and rest. Matt always wanted to keep working." The smiles on the faces of Matt and his mom say the work paid off. Read Matt's story as reported in the Keene Sentinel.

A Documentry on Patrick Killelea and his Family

Three-year-old Justice came to Crotched Mountain following a selective dorsal rhyzotomy – spinal nerve surgery to reduce spasticity in his arms and legs. This very delicate operation required three to four hours of intensive post-operative therapy each day and Justice was referred by Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center to our Children's Specialty Hospital where this level of post-operative rehabilitative care could be assured. Justice showed an immediate response to the intensive therapy he received at Crotched Mountain, sometimes improving between morning and afternoon therapy sessions. While most children recovering from a rhyzotomy require three to four weeks of intensive post-op care in a facility such as ours, Justice was able to return to his family in just eight days, due to the positive response he had to the intensive care he received at Crotched Mountain's Children's Hospital. He continues to recover at home with outpatient therapy at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Crotched Mountain.