Daniel's Story
For the first time in weeks, Daniel Santana could see a way back to Layla.
In the therapy gym at Select Medical Rehabilitation Hospital at Lutheran Hospital, therapists clipped the 32-year-old into an overhead safety harness. For weeks, his legs had been too weak to hold him. This time, he got to his feet.
“When I stood for the first time with the walker and was able to take steps in the harness,” he said, “I knew I’d make it home.”
And home meant Layla, his dog, who he’d been missing for weeks.
Daniel’s first time on his feet was a big win in a long fight that started when the pawnbroker from Portage, Indiana, felt ill. He called his mom, who drove him to an urgent care. He wound up in the emergency department at Northwest Health in Portage. Doctors discovered his heart and respiratory system were failing.
Then his memory went dark. The next time he became aware of anything he was at the rehabilitation hospital. Doctors had intubated him, put him on a feeding tube and he’d spent three weeks on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, or ECMO, machine, which oxygenated his blood since his heart and lungs had stopped.
Daniel found himself unable to do much of anything when he first awoke. He was unable to sit up, stand or walk – let alone take care of even the little, everyday tasks he needed to do every day, like getting dressed or using the bathroom.
At Select Medical Rehabilitation Hospital, a physician-led team of occupational and physical therapists and helped set clear goals: restore strength, rebuild function and prepare him for home. “To walk and be independent like I was before,” he said.
Therapists started with simple exercises in bed. He slid his heels along the mattress to bend his knees, improving circulation and flexibility. He added ankle pumps to help blood flow and reduce swelling. Short sitting sessions raised his head and chest, conditioning his body to be upright again.
Within days, therapists taught him safe transfers using a Hoyer lift — a sling and overhead arm that moves patients without strain — and a sliding board, a smooth plank that bridges bed and chair. These tools made practice possible while protecting his body.
Nurses coordinated daily care and reinforced his therapy routines. Respiratory work came first. After weeks on life support, Daniel needed to rebuild his endurance.
Therapists coached diaphragmatic breathing — placing a hand on his stomach and taking slow breaths that raised the abdomen more than the chest. Short walks to the bathroom added natural breath training.
Work on eating came next His feeding tube had been removed before he was transferred to the rehabilitation hospital. He started with sitting and taking small bites which made swallowing safer and less tiring.
Mobility and self-care then became the focus. After three days, Daniel could sit for longer and longer periods at the edge of his bed edge. Therapists had him move onto a standing frame with knee and chest supports. With that they could raise him to a standing position.
By the first week, Daniel was practicing sit-to-stand transfers with a walker. A sit-to-stand machine gently lifted him from sitting to standing, building leg strength and balance. By week three, he was walking, an overhead harness hoisting most of his body weight as he worked on the motions. “They pushed me every day,” he said.
As his core strength grew, his physical therapist had him sit and balance himself upright, reach across his midline and turn his head without losing stability. As he walked in the harness, he progressed to pivoting while standing behind his rolling walker.
Finally, he abandoned the harness and switched to walking without the lift. He tackled uneven surfaces, ramps and 6-inch curb steps — skills he needed for real-world safety.
Meanwhile, occupational therapy helped him relearn how to dress and bathe. A reacher helped Daniel thread pants without bending. A sock aid let him slide socks most of the way on, even with his limited mobility. At first, he needed a wheeled shower chair and lift., but by discharge, Daniel walked into the bathroom with his walker, sat on a tub transfer bench and bathed on his own.
These moments — getting to the toilet, getting out of bed, taking steps — were not just physical milestones. They marked a return to normal life.
Daniel’s parents stayed involved throughout his stay. Through the Care Partner program, his they learned transfer techniques and practiced alongside staff, preparing Daniel for life at home. Their presence gave him confidence. “My parents were here supporting me all the way,” he said. “I had many people praying for my recovery.”
By discharge, Daniel was eating on his own, walking 166 feet with a rolling walker, managing curb steps with supervision, dressing himself with adaptive tools and doing things like showering and brushing his own hair without help.
Daniel looked forward to simple things. Like Layla and the rest of his family. He planned short walks and time on the couch, building stamina for errands and work.
“This place is outstanding,” he said. “Everyone is so helpful and caring.”
Daniel left with confidence, a plan and a dog waiting at the door.