Erik Finney
Erik Finney's experience at On With Life may have only lasted a handful of days, but the impact those five days of therapy had on him will be something he remembers for the rest of his life.
Erik, who lives in a very rural area of Northern Minnesota, was life flighted to a trauma center in Fargo, North Dakota after being dragged by his horse while herding cattle. Sustaining a traumatic brain injury from the incident, Erik was in a coma for 45 days before moving onto Craig Hospital. He was able to progress significantly during his time at Craig’s inpatient program, but when it was time to transition to outpatient services Erik and his wife, Shannon, thought he would do better away from a big city such as Denver.
Being a farmer, attending outpatient rehabilitation in Iowa made more sense. The Finneys had originally planned on attending On With Life’s Ankeny outpatient clinic and utilizing the family housing available, but when they found out there was a second location in Coralville, they adjusted their plans to attend therapy there while staying with friends who lived close by.
“The teams from both Craig and On With Life were amazing for helping us line up our plans, as well as transportation from Colorado to Iowa,” said Shannon.
Once they had arrived in Eastern Iowa, they settled into a cabin on their friend’s property and drove to the Coralville clinic for five days of intensive outpatient therapy. Erik went through a series of tests to help his therapy team determine where he was at and then worked with them to establish goals and a therapy plan he could continue with at home. He also participated in the driver rehabilitation program to ensure he could get back behind the wheel safely.
“I was so happy with the level of treatment they gave me and the way my team worked with me,” said Erik. “They met me at the level I was at yet pushed me just enough that I was able to try new things. It was an elite experience.”
The team at On With Life knew that Erik and Shannon’s goal was to go home, and safely be able to do so, and that’s exactly what they did. The Finneys left Iowa a week later with the confidence they needed to continue on with their lives on the farm. Erik’s transition home went smoothly, and he is now back feeding cattle, driving, and playing his guitar.
“On With Life will always be a special place for us,” said Shannon.