Patient Pays it Forward for Shirley Ryan AbilityLab at Silver Cross

Following a life-threatening bout with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Bo Boll, 74, walked out of Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, thanks to the therapists at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab inpatient unit.

“He will be one of the top five patients I will never forget,” said Occupational Therapist Lindsay Sloan.

Boll, of Mokena, lives in the same neighborhood as Sloan and her family. “We’ve seen him a couple times since he was released,” said Sloan. “He restores old cars, and my nephew loves cars. He’s given my nephew several books on cars.”

Boll, a retired contractor, has a home workshop and likes to stay busy. Looking at therapy equipment from a patient’s point of view, he thought he could offer some enhancements. “I reached out to Lindsay and another therapist to determine what really works and what they need,” he said. They decided to modify two pieces of equipment.

“One looked like a crate that you had to take apart and then put back together again,” said Boll. “I made a new one for people who couldn’t stand up and work on it.” Another therapist at the AbilityLab asked if he could make a new incline board, which patients use to improve their leg, arm and hand strength.

“He did us a huge favor,” added Sloan. “He also built a device that helps patients develop fine motor skills.”

Boll came up with a device that helps him get back the feeling in his fingers by twisting and untwisting a nut up and down a metal rod. He figured other therapy patients could benefit from it, too. “I enjoy giving back,” he said. “Hopefully, I can continue to build other items for therapy use.”

“He was a great patient and had a wonderful outcome,” said Sloan. “What a great way to pay it forward.”

For more information about rehabilitation services at Silver Cross, visit silvercross.org

Silver Cross Hospital

1900 Silver Cross Blvd

New Lenox, IL 60451