Posted on October 18, 2022
PODCAST: “Crash & Build” How an accident and recovery changed a family and a hospital
How did a simple trip to the laundromat change a family – and a hospital system – forever?
Mary Free Bed’s patient-focused podcast, ‘Rehabilitationships’ is back with a special two-part episode featuring Mary Free Bed president and CEO Kent Riddle and his wife Susan.
Twenty years ago, Kent, Susan and one of their four children were driving to the laundromat when a major car crash changed their lives forever.
Susan sustained a traumatic brain injury. At the scene of the accident, Kent was told she wouldn’t make it. She survived and underwent a long recovery process that led her to rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed.
At the time, Kent was deep into his career as an engineer, never having worked in health care. But after seeing first-hand the rehabilitation care Susan received for her brain injury at Mary Free Bed, his trajectory changed.
Over two podcast episodes, the Riddles recount the accident and Susan’s recovery in detail. They also share how it altered their lives and perspectives.
In the second episode, Kent explains how their experience inspired a new and different journey. Starting as a volunteer on the Mary Free Bed Board of Trustees, he eventually became president and CEO of the hospital in 2011. He’s helped grow the hospital into the rehabilitation system it is today.
Inspired by her own rehabilitation care and recovery, Susan achieved her degree in occupational therapy and worked at Mary Free Bed.
While Kent and Susan have shared some of their story before, never have they shared it all in such detail and in one place.
With such a special episode we brought in a guest podcast host, the long-time radio broadcaster turned podcast consultant, Phil Tower, to help tell the story.
Check out the first episode in the player below, or wherever you get your podcasts:
Then listen to the second episode here:
Learn more about Rehabilitationships and make sure to rate, review and subscribe for more stories like this.
