Because of Siskin Hospital, I can travel to the mission field!

At just 13 years old, Jada Defoor’s life changed in an instant.

While on vacation in Florida with her family, Jada was unexpectedly thrown off a Jet Ski. Though the fall was frightening, she seemed fine and was just sore. Her family assumed it was nothing serious and continued with their trip.

Once home, the soreness in her back worsened. Before long, Jada began having issues with her balance. She fell often, struggled to get back up, and experienced growing pain in her knee. Believing it was an orthopedic issue, doctors sent her to physical therapy for her knee.

“There was a different therapist filling in that day,” Jada recalled. “She started doing these different tests and realized something was neurologically wrong. She told us to go to the emergency room right away. She literally saved my life.”

Three months after the accident, doctors discovered the true cause of Jada’s symptoms: a compressed spinal cord. She underwent emergency spinal fusion surgery.

Despite continuous rehabilitation, Jada remained in constant pain for the next three years. Her symptoms gradually worsened. She was falling more frequently and eventually couldn’t lift her arms above her head. Imaging revealed that the vertebrae above and below her fusion had become overly reliant on the hardware. Each time she moved, the bones were shearing against her spinal cord.

She would need a second, more extensive fusion surgery.

At such a young age, facing a second major operation and a long recovery was overwhelming. This time, doctors strongly recommended inpatient rehabilitation at Siskin Hospital before she returned home.

“Initially, I was kind of like a bratty teenager, thinking it was pointless,” Jada admitted. “But when I started to see my gait change, I really began to have hope again.”

Before her second surgery and inpatient rehabilitation, doctors had warned Jada she might never walk normally or ever run again. But her experience at Siskin Hospital began to shift that outlook.

“Jada’s motivation and drive to get better was and remains very inspirational. She never gave up and was always willing to try new activities,” said Jessica Green, PT, DPT, Jada’s primary physical therapist.

“Consistently working with one therapist, you really form a bond,” said Jada. “Whenever she told me to do something different or change something, even if it felt weird, I trusted her because we had that relationship.”

Through compassionate, personalized care from Jessica and the entire Siskin Hospital team, Jada’s gait improved, her strength returned, and her confidence grew. She continued her recovery through Siskin Outpatient Therapy and made incredible progress.

Now a recent high school graduate, Jada is preparing for her next great adventure: working in the mission field. A life-long goal that would not have been possible without the care she received at Siskin Hospital.

“I would never wish this on someone else, but I’m happy I went through it,” Jada reflected. “I wouldn’t be where I am in my walk with God unless I had gone through this.”