Kyle King was reading Harry Potter to his children when he went into cardiac arrest. His wife, Megan King, called 911 and started CPR. Upon arriving at an acute care hospital in their community, the medical staff gave the family little hope because of the amount of time that Kyle had been without oxygen.
Kyle survived the cardiac arrest episode, was placed on a ventilator and put into a medically-induced coma. Oxygen deprivation and other health issues secondary to the cardiac arrest made a clear prognosis hard to determine. Medical providers were unsure if Kyle would regain speech or motor skills.
Megan was determined, however, to find a care facility that could help with his recovery. She researched several long-term acute care options and rehabilitation hospitals before finding Nexus.
“I can’t tell you how amazing everyone at Nexus was,” said Megan. “It was comforting to know they truly cared and valued getting the best version of Kyle back.”
During his time in acute care, Kyle was unable to tolerate therapeutic activities due to neurostorming and his level of consciousness. Attempts to raise his level of consciousness were not successful.
When he arrived at Nexus, there was a protocol put in place that helped Kyle regain consciousness. This enabled him to participate in different types of therapy with the goal of independent living.
“We didn’t immediately see results, but there was a plan of care that everyone was committed to, from nurses to PAs to doctors,” said Megan. “Nexus was perfectly placed in our lives to give Kyle what he needed at that time. I think a lot of people probably would have read his case, seen ‘30 minutes without oxygen,’ and given up on him. Nexus took a chance that others wouldn’t. He has a wonderful quality of life now, and a lot of that is attributable to the care he received at Nexus. They are miracle workers.”
After returning to consciousness at Nexus, Kyle went on to regain much of his former cognitive and physical abilities through rehabilitation. He now spends a lot of his time outdoors, fishing, hunting, and cooking, and retains his characteristically positive, grateful approach to life.
“He has to put effort into everything because nothing comes naturally to him anymore,” said Megan, “but his outlook is so unique. He makes a decision every day to make the next best choice.”
