After months of rehab, farm accident victim discharged from hospital
By Staff
GOING HOME n After months of physical therapy at The Specialty Hospital of Meridian, Imogene Irvin, fourth from left, went home Friday. Hospital staff who helped care for her include, left to right, Jayne McKinion, Pam Williams, Danielle Pelletier, Tara Holowka, Renee Read, Rebekah Herrin and Jill Brady. Photo by Kelly Quackenbush/The Meridian Star.
By Kelly Quackenbush/The Meridian Star
Jan. 27, 2001
Fourteen months after a bizarre farm accident sent her to the hospital and months after intensive physical therapy Imogene Irvin is going home.
Irvin, 70, was feted with a special send off party Friday from The Specialty Hospital of Meridian, where she had been undergoing treatment for injuries which held the potential to shatter her life.
She was first admitted to another hospital on April 26, 2000 after an incident at her farm. She attempted to close the gate of her bull and cow pen while two bulls were fighting. One of the bulls kicked open the steel gate, which struck her head and caused a traumatic brain injury. She left the hospital after two and a half weeks and her family brought in home health care.
After Irvin began to show the slightest response to home health care, she was admitted to The Specialty Hospital. After almost three months of intense physical therapy, she is able to stand, speak, dress herself with little help and walk with assistance.
Her goodbye statement to the hospital staff was short and sweet, "I'll remember you, I won't forget you and I will probably come back to visit."
Cleaning the house was the first thing she planned to do when she got home.
Kelly Quackenbush if a staff writer for The Meridian Star.