Rufus Willis

Fifteen months ago, Rufus Willis tripped into a pothole, injuring his spine. The spinal cord injury left Rufus an incomplete quadriplegic. After his initial hospitalization, Rufus transferred to Ballard Rehabilitation Hospital.

At Ballard, Rufus received intensive rehabilitation care focused on restoring his function and independence. The hard work paid off for Rufus. When he arrived, Rufus required 100% assistance for activities of daily living (ADLs). He graduated from Ballard needing only 50% assistance with his ADLs.

Acute rehabilitation involves a team approach, and that includes family. Throughout his recovery, Rufus leaned on his wife, Virginia, his pillar of strength. She has been with him through it all, supporting him and learning how to help him at home.

When his inpatient stay was over, Rufus continued to work hard with outpatient therapy. He has since reached a supervised or independent level with everything. That includes walking with a walker for support.

Rufus has the tenacity and perseverance to achieve anything. He has one main goal remaining, which is to work on his left hand. He is now working with a hand specialist toward that goal.

A paralegal, Rufus has returned to his career. He day trades as a hobby and is planning to open up his own clothing line on the internet. Rufus is the ultimate optimist. With his strong faith, he moves forward daily toward complete independence. Rufus is an inspiration to all and an example of perseverance and positivity.