Former Bryan Rehab Patient Runs Lincoln Half Marathon with Therapist Who Helped Her Recover
A former rehab patient at Bryan Medical Center traveled from San Diego, California, last weekend to run the Lincoln Half Marathon with the therapist who helped her recover from a serious health condition last summer.
Maddie Rott currently is a junior at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. As a freshman, she was a Lady Volunteer student-athlete competing for the nationally-ranked rowing team. Outside of sports, her passion was nutrition studies. In 2023, Maddie earned a summer internship with the University of Western Michigan football team in Kalamazoo. The position was designed to help her learn more about how athletes can maximize performance through tailored nutrition strategies.
Serious Medication Side Effect
However, her experience did not go as planned. Last May, Maddie arrived in Kalamazoo ready to learn. But one month later, she suffered a serious adverse reaction to a prescribed medication. The unexpected, rare side effect caused her muscles to tighten and become rigid. It was difficult to move. Because of these symptoms, Maddie was unable to fly back to California. Her mom and dad, Michael and Elisa immediately flew to Michigan to care for and drive her home. After nearly 10 hours of travel, the family arrived in Nebraska. Throughout the ride, Maddie’s condition slowly worsened. She was in extreme pain and nearly immobile. It was difficult to even ride in the car.
Michael and Elisa knew she needed immediate medical attention, so they stopped at an urgent care west of Lincoln. Doctors confirmed that Maddie needed an immediate, higher level of care. She was quickly transported by helicopter to Bryan Medical Center. Once Maddie arrived, she was placed in intensive care (ICU). Doctors and nurses worked to treat and stabilize her condition. She was critically ill, spending over two weeks in the ICU. Slowly, her muscles relaxed and limited mobility returned. After 17 days, Maddie was well enough to move to inpatient rehab and begin recovery.
The former Division 1 student-athlete had to relearn simple, everyday tasks. Maddie began in a wheelchair, progressed to a walker and used the Eksoskeleton before she could finally walk on her own. She also learned to swallow again, something she hadn’t done on her own because of the feeding tube in the ICU. Overall, she underwent intense physical, occupational and speech therapy.
53 Days of Hard Work
“When I first saw Maddie, I was a little intimidated about what was going on. I was a stranger coming into her room and having to do very personal things to care for her,” said Riley Johnson, occupational therapist. “But I just kept reminding myself that I could only imagine what this 21-year-old is feeling right now. I was going to treat her how I would want to be treated in this situation.”
Finally, after 53 days of hard work and progress, Maddie was discharged. She was well enough to return home and eased back into everyday life. In total, she spent nearly 11 weeks at Bryan Medical Center. Maddie’s family stayed by her side in Lincoln throughout the summer and provided love, support and encouragement during recovery. Last weekend, nearly nine months after the health scare, Maddie and her family returned to Nebraska. This time, it was a planned and joyous occasion. She ran the Lincoln Half Marathon with Riley, her occupational therapist. Riley was one of many caretakers who helped Maddie make a full physical recovery.
“Throughout the race, I was looking over at Maddie and kept thinking that this is real, this is happening,” Johnson said. “She wasn’t walking eight months ago and now she’s running 13.1 miles.”
Full Circle Moment
After the pair crossed the finish line, it was a full-circle moment for the Rott family. They developed a special connection with the rehab team during their almost three-month stay last summer. In fact, Maddie ran the Half Marathon in the same pair of shoes she wore in rehab while learning to walk again.
“I truly thought I would never be able to run more than a mile or walk more than a mile ever again,” Maddie said. “It was surreal to cross the finish line and such a special moment to do it with Riley and have my family there to cheer us on.”
Next year, Maddie will earn her diploma from the University of Tennessee. However, she had a change of heart in her career path. The California native switched her major to public health and plans to attend nursing school after graduation. She may even return to Lincoln to attend the Bryan College of Health Sciences. Maddie wants to care for others as she was cared for at Bryan.
“You have to have a lot of faith and strength to get through these things,” said Elisa Rott, Maddie’s mom. “There was a lot of support built in here at Bryan led by the incredible staff. They made it one of the best times of our lives at the worst possible time of our lives.”
