09/25/2025
Joe started taking insulin in 1959; he estimates that in the 66 years since, he has had around 110,000 injections. In addition to diabetes, he's had multiple other health issues, like heart problems and low blood oxygen.
In September 2024, Joe spent 44 days in the hospital due to double pneumonia, including three weeks on a ventilator. After being taken off the ventilator, he was unable to stand or walk. Finding a nursing facility with physical therapy services proved unsuccessful, so Joe's family decided to bring him home and pursue physical rehabilitation there.
A few years prior, Joe had a positive experience at KORT Wi******er. Based on that, he reconnected with KORT and began working with Physical Therapist Assistant Kai Blankenship in November 2024.
"It has been a real journey, but with [Kai's] assistance, I came off oxygen during the day in March 2025," Joe said. "Shortly after that, with Kai's fabulous guidance and assistance, I was finally off oxygen at night as well."
Kai helped Joe by identifying what he couldn't yet do and implementing steps to achieve it. He worked on walking the three steps from the garage to the house. He pushed past challenges like when his oxygen failed and he had to wait for his son to help him out of the car after he passed out. Joe and Kai kept working toward their goals.
"One of my goals was to be able to mow the lawn by June 19, my birthday," Joe shared. He achieved that goal with two weeks to spare, and although it was a challenge, he made it.
Joe worked on a garden in his backyard this summer, sharing that it wouldn't be possible without the assistance of KORT and Kai. While his grandson and granddaughter, ages 5 and 9 respectively, love to take care of him, they've been a motivation for Joe to push through physical therapy. He's come a long way from his 44-day hospital stay a year ago; he's gained back his life.
