Canton Reporter

Jonas Sykes began his physical therapy career at Aultman Hospital over 20 years ago. Since 2015, he’s served as the director of Inpatient Therapy Services. When Jonas hires staff, he explains to them how the Aultman way puts patients’ best interests at heart. He says his colleagues are good people and go above and beyond when caring for patients.

In July 2022, Jonas found himself on the receiving end of care as a patient at Aultman Hospital. He and his wife, Kim, had just returned from a trip to Colorado. After leaving work the next day, Jonas suffered a seizure that resulted in physical injury. He was taken to Aultman Hospital where he received testing and treatment.

Due to the seizure, some details from the event are hard for Jonas to recall. But he remembers the exceptional care and compassion he received. Throughout his weeklong hospital stay, his nurses and physicians, including neurohospitalist Dr. Eric Bracken and hospitalist Dr. Ivor O’Connor, took time to explain tests and medications to him and his wife. Jonas underwent many labs, brain scans and MRIs. From start to finish, Jonas said his caretakers were kind and empathetic.

Jonas’s own colleagues rallied around him during this time. To aid in his recovery, people from his department dropped off meals and checked in. He also received strong support from management and his supervisor, Jen Proffitt. While he was off work, Jonas’s department leads stepped right in and kept the department running smoothly. Because of the seizure, Jonas couldn’t drive for six months. His neighbor and several other Aultman co-workers would even drive Jonas to work.

Jonas’s recovery has included frequent labs, EEG scans to check his brain wave activity and outpatient physical therapy. Jonas said the staff conducting his EEGs and physical therapy have been very helpful and caring. “I’m not 100%, but I’m getting there, and I see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “That’s the continuum of care at Aultman. They work hard to help you get back to your life.”

Now six months after the seizure, Jonas can drive again. He and his wife are enjoying time with their three kids, and he is grateful to be back to work. Jonas receives frequent scans at Aultman Hospital to monitor his brain wave patterns, and he is grateful that he has not had another seizure.

As he reflected on his medical journey, Jonas said his experience reinforced the importance of helping others. “At Aultman, people will genuinely care for you the way they care for their own family. Even though I knew this journey wasn’t going to be fun, it made all the difference to interact with people who really care. It makes me think, ‘Who can I care for in my own life?’ If we focus on other people, we find true satisfaction. I have 24 hours today; I want to make an impact for others.”

Original source can be found here.