Gary Gabrich

Gary Gabrich discharges from RHNI after rehabbing from multiple fractures.

Before his accident, Gary Gabrich lived a very active life. Years ago, Gary and his wife, JoAnn, were in search of a new hobby to enjoy together. They found the Michiana Bicycle Association. The couple joined the club at age 50 and would ride up to 25 miles per trip. Now 78, Gary was still peddling away.

Deciding to challenge himself, Gary planned a 31-mile bike trip down to Potato Creek State Park. He ended up running into some unforeseen trouble on this new terrain, resulting in an accident. A passing car pulled over to assist Gary and called 9-1-1. EMS transported Gary to Memorial Hospital for evaluation. In the accident, Gary suffered fractures in his left leg and shattered his left elbow. After surgery to repair the injuries, Gary was in need of inpatient rehabilitation. He was referred to Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Indiana (RHNI) to regain his highest possible level of function.

After hearing about RHNI from a family friend, Gary decided it was “the place to be.” He couldn’t be more pleased with that decision, having made great progress. Gary has increased his range of motion and gained back strength and endurance. “My rehab team is superb,” he said, with a special shout out to physical therapists, Louie and Chris. “And I love the food here,” Gary added.

Gary has some big goals still. He looks forward to returning home to cruise around in his restored 1985 Mercedes-Benz SL roadster. Gary spent the last ten months working on the roadster before his injuries. He also looks forward to spending time with family and friends, and enjoying another newfound hobby — “amateur genealogist.”

 

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