Brenda Rutherford, 81
Born in Bristol, Tennessee, Brenda Rutherford was the youngest of seven children. In June 1964, she married the love of her life, and this year they celebrated an incredible 61 years of marriage. The couple made their home in Roanoke, Virginia, in 1991 about which Brenda says, “God put us in such a good place.”
Before her health challenges, Brenda sold Mary Kay cosmetics and worked retail at local stores such as JC Penney. She’s still a beautiful woman who enjoys skincare and makeup.
About a year and a half ago, Brenda underwent spinal surgery that left her essentially paralyzed from the neck down. When she first arrived at Friendship, she could only wiggle her toes . She was unable to feed herself, dress, stand, or move independently.
Brenda has been a resident of Friendship for about one year, originally hoping to return home after she completed her short-term rehab course. However, after several weeks of therapy, though she did make some progress, she was still unable to walk, stand, or care for herself and she transitioned to long term care. But Brenda never gave up. Her determination, strong faith and intense commitment to her goals proved most everyone wrong. She continued to work with her therapists to learn to walk, stand, transfer, feed herself, and to regain strength and movement in her arms and legs.
She worked so hard with physical and occupational therapy and pushed through pain and significant weakness to achieve what many thought impossible.
From a short term rehab patient, to a long term BINGO loving resident, one full year later, she is about to walk in her own home this month.
Not all paths are the same. But Brenda wants everyone to know as she said in her own words: “You can’t say why me? You just have to do what you need to do to get better. And if you have limits, that’s ok! You can still get better! Turn it over to God and do more than what your therapists tell you to do”.
BINGO won’t be the same without its’ biggest fan. But we will cheer her on as she finally crosses that finish line to head home again.
Friendship Health and Rehab South, Roanoke
