Nathan Abelein, 55 years old, lives in Berthoud, Colorado, with his wife, Merrelyn. They have lived there for 22 of their 31 years of marriage. They have a couple of acres of property that they look after. Nathan works as an electrical engineer and enjoys playing ice hockey, scuba diving, and hiking. He loves spending quality time with his two children as well.

In September of 2021, Nathan became weak. He felt tired, started coughing, had no appetite, and developed a fever. Concerned with his worsening condition, he decided to go to the acute care hospital. There they put him on a ventilator for six weeks due to acute respiratory failure from COVID-19.

Once Nathan stabilized, he transitioned to a long-term acute hospital. Even after his time there, he needed more rehabilitation before going home. He chose Northern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital for their exceptional reputation and recommendation from his nurses and case manager. He heard great things about their care from friends that were former patients.

During Nathan’s time at NCRH, the staff impressed him with their consistent support. “Jack Hawvermale, RN, was very attentive, communicated all the time, and went above and beyond. Madeline Roach, RN, always went out of her way to help. Emma Martin, PCT, was phenomenal and very genuine! Dr. Arrogante was very thorough and had fantastic communication!  Dr. Asadi would always talk to me at breakfast and cheer me on!”

Nathan is returning home soon and hopes to walk independently and come off oxygen by discharge day. He made great progress and is currently walking with a walker. Upon reflection of his care at NCRH, Nathan stated, “The therapy was so interactive and fun! The entire staff was always cheering me on! It’s a long road to my recovery, but I will be coming back for outpatient therapy at NCRH!”