Let's Dance!

Dancing in PT with my Post-Stroke Patient By Janae Marcello '19, '21G

For the past 10 weeks, I have been working in our Nazareth pro-bono neurologic clinic with a patient 5 years post-stroke. He was an incredibly active individual prior to his injury, an avid biker, hiker, and associate professor and lead researcher at the University of Rochester. And a dancer. Every Friday night you could find him on the dance floor with his wife of 15 years West Coast Swinging to Michael Jackson and BB King.

Janae sharing a lighthearted moment
during a recent session at the YWRI

A dancer myself, I took heart to the fact that he could no longer participate in the activity he so dearly loved to do and right then, vowed to do whatever it took to get him back to dancing. Each week, I bring in my speaker, play his favorite music, and we Swing. To my benefit, Nazareth has a SafeGait Active® harness system which allows me to dance with my patient without worrying about guarding him. He has progressed so well using the harness we are at the point where he no longer needs the support. Soon we are going to have his wife come into the clinic to practice, an opportunity I find so unique to Nazareth.
These 10 weeks have by far been the most incredible moments of my life. My absolute favorite moment of my student PT career thus far was when he said to me:


“I don’t think I’ve been this happy in 5 years. When we were dancing, I actually forgot I even had a stroke.”

We hugged, cried, and smiled beyond measure. I have never felt such pure joy and will never, ever forget the smile that couldn’t be wiped off his face. A man who seldomly takes pride in his accomplishments was finally believing in himself, his potential, and the impossible. I revel in this moment often picturing his smile and the fact that he made himself proud. This experience has shaped me as a future professional and the PT I hope to become.

I am so utterly grateful Nazareth grants me the opportunity to treat patients within the community with these diagnoses, patients whom I typically would not encounter unless in a specific neurological setting. It is the pro-bono clinics at Nazareth that have developed my passion for PT and why I pursue improving myself as a future professional in every way possible.