Patient Stories at Southern Regional Rehabilitation 

Winston Williams

On a cold day in February, truck driver Winston Williams was traveling from Springfield, Missouri to Macon, Ga. when he came across two other trucks that had collided on the road ahead of him. The conditions were rough - snow was falling all around and there was ice on the road.

"My truck couldn't stop," Williams said. "I was only going 15 MPH but the truck was sliding like a bobsled on ice. I kept thinking, 'God help me' and I braced for impact."

Williams was transported to a hospital nearby in Alabama and then to another in Mississippi, where he had surgeries on both legs...Just over a week into Williams' stay at The Rehabilitation Center at Southern Regional, Williams' wife gave birth to their daughter. Sadly, the Williams' daughter wasn't breathing or feeding properly and it was decided she too would stay at Southern Regional until she got better...

Read more of Winston Williams' story and how he and his family reunited after nearly a month of hospital visits.

Leonard Mannella

Leonard Mannella, RN is no stranger to the everyday emergencies and medical traumas that occur inside a hospital. A seasoned medical professional, this 54-year-old spent his days caring for others and exercising empathy and compassion with all his patients. As an ER veteran, Mr. Mannella thought he had experienced it all. This perception changed when his role shifted from nurse to patient in fall 2010. 

Read more about Mr. Mannella's journey to recovery here.

Pamela Newby

Chronic headaches weren't unusual for Pamela Newby, a long-time migraine sufferer. So when she woke up with a headached one morning, she never imagined it might be an early warning sign of an impending stroke.

The 48-year-old graphic artist was getting ready to go shopping with her daughter when suddenly, she was unable to move her left side and couldn't speak to call for help. Newby began banging on the wall with her right hand to get her daughter's attention.

Read Pamela's story and find out how she's doing today.

Nilsa Scott

Guillain-Barre´ Syndrome was an overwhelming and scary diagnosis for Nilsa Scott, the 52-year-old Griffin, Ga. resident. But she was also given some positive news from her doctors. There was a medical center less than an hour away – The Rehabilitation Center at Southern Regional Medical Center. Read more about Nilsa's story.

Joanna Vincent

The neurologist said she needed to be admitted to the hospital immediately because of a rare form of Multiple Sclerosis, and referred her to Dr. Ernesto Fernandez, a neurologist at Southern Regional Medical Center. Finally, Joanna Vincent started to get some answers. Read more about Joanna's story.