Chester “Mac” Allsup

Mac with one of his outpatient physical therapists, Randy Willman, MPT

51-year-old Chester “Mac” Allsup of Greeley was a “jack of all trades.” He spent his time hunting, fishing, bike riding, walking his dogs, and keeping his yard in pristine condition. But most of all, Allsup was a master of cooking and BBQ.

Everything changed when Mac was involved in a car accident over the summer. The accident left him with multiple traumatic injuries, including a left tib-fib fracture, left rib fractures 3-4, left ischial ramus fracture, and left AC shoulder separation. After initial treatment at a local hospital, Mac transferred to Northern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital for follow up care.

Inpatient rehabilitation offered Mac an opportunity to return to his favorite hobbies.

“Initially, after my accident, I felt defeated,” Mac says. “I prided myself in my ability to do numerous outdoor activities, and now I was limited. But as soon as I came to Northern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital, my spirits lifted. The staff was incredibly welcoming, with nothing but positive attitudes from the start.”

“Our goal is to help patients return home quickly and with the highest level of independence possible,” says Dr. Revelyn Arrogante, Medical Director at NCRH. “We do this through services provided by our highly trained healthcare providers, advanced rehabilitation technologies, and individualized therapy plans. We want to get patients back to doing what they love at their highest abilities.”

After about two weeks of treatment, Mac returned home. He still uses a wheelchair, but is able to perform everyday tasks independently. Mac continues to receive physical and occupational therapy through the NCRH’s outpatient services. He has returned to cooking, too. Mac hopes to help at NCRH’s next employee appreciation BBQ to show the staff how much he values what they did for him.

“The staff cares about you as a person, not just as another patient,” Mac says. “They took the time to get to know me – what I like, what I dislike, my favorite hobbies. You can see the staff’s passion for caregiving. At the end of my stay, they gave me a standing ovation. Seeing all of the people who helped to get me back home cheering me on was truly remarkable.”