Zeek is a six-year-old with endless energy and a smile that makes the world better. He has Cerebral Palsy and has been a patient at Polinsky Medical Rehabilitation Center since before he was one-year-old. He is motivated and when he says “Yes, I can do this,”, and “I want to do this,” he makes it happen.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Zeek is doing virtual physical therapy with his physical therapist, Kyle, and he is making great progress. “Zeek and his family have demonstrated the ability to be flexible, inventive and determined throughout the transition to virtual visits,” says Kyle. “His mother, Katrina, and Zeek, have shown great perseverance, and Zeek is now starting to take steps independently walking 10-20 feet at a time. This would not have happened without the ability to have virtual visits.”
Katrina watched him walk ¼ mile with his Lofstrand crutches the other day. In this video, you can see Zeek and Kyle are working on walking with very little support.
The look of pride on both Kyle and Zeek’s face when he successfully walks to the table is an incredible moment caught on camera.
While Katrina can’t wait to get him back to in-person therapy, she says, “I have gained a new perspective and appreciation for all that he’s doing and working on. I better understand his therapy and how I can help him at home now. Most of the time, he has continued to work hard for me as well.”
Polinsky brings together specialized care teams of highly-skilled, compassionate providers — psychiatrists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, psychologists, social workers, canine therapists and beyond – all with a calling to care for our region’s most medically-compromised patients. Polinsky is moving from the downtown Essentia Health campus to the new Miller Hill Health Plaza. A newly renovated space, with more than enough room for an energetic six-year old.
“I cannot wait for him to get back to in-person therapy and am so excited that he will soon be in the new building,” says Katrina. “I’m thrilled to see the new opportunities he will have there and the new levels of success that he will reach.”
