Therapy, faith help area resident to walk again
A fall in 1996 severely damaged Tim Johnson’s cervical vertebrae
Timothy Johnson
RED BANK — For all the technological advancements, it seems there will always be some things science can’t explain.
Those of faith call them miracles.
Timothy Johnson believes in miracles.
In 1996 Johnson had been working in Orlando, Fla., for the Disney corporation as an entertainer and choreographer. He had been putting in some very long hours, sometimes as much as 18 hours a day, he said.
After doing that for an extended period, Johnson said, on Sept. 17, 1996, "I just passed out from total exhaustion."
He fell onto a cement floor, fracturing five of the cervical vertebrae at the top of his spine, and spent 22 days in a coma. He then spent 29 months in hospitals and rehabilitation centers, and the prognosis was grim.
"The doctors told me I’d be totally paralyzed," Johnson said. "I was told I’d never walk again."
After spending some time at the Kessler Institute, West Orange, a facility renowned for the treatment of spinal cord injuries, Johnson was told he should consider a nursing care facility.
"They told me, ‘Mr. Johnson, you’re never going to get better,’ " he said.
Johnson refused to go to a nursing home. Because he planned to return to his family in Long Branch, he was advised to continue his therapy at Cooper Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy at the Red Bank branch of the YMCA, 166 Maple Ave.
Brad Cooper, who has operated Cooper Rehab for eight years and has been a physical therapist for 11 years, described Johnson’s condition as an "incomplete quadriplegic."
When Johnson started treatment at Cooper he was taking 79 different medications a day, and the only movement he was capable of was through body tremors. He also suffered from memory loss, was experiencing considerable pain, and reacted violently to any outside stimuli.
Bernard Fryer, a therapist who works with Cooper, compared it to a partially severed electrical cord with current still running through it.
It was Cooper’s hope that, with diligence and a lot of hard work and perspiration, Johnson would recover sufficiently to be able to walk with crutches.
"With that extent of an injury the prognosis is poor," Cooper acknowledged.
But with time and work, Johnson did show some improvement. Johnson, while limited, became ambulatory with the aid of crutches, for short distances.
But about a year ago Johnson suffered a stroke, which derailed his recovery and added other health considerations.
On the advice of a close friend, Alfred Griffin, Johnson attended a faith healing gathering at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The healing ministry seminar was held for three days in July and was attended by more than 6,000 people from 14 countries, Johnson said. It was conducted by televangelist Craflo Dollar.
Johnson said he had been raised in a Christian environment and had always thought of himself as a religious, spiritual person. But since his injury, he had become increasingly depressed and isolated.
At the seminar, Johnson said, he became overwhelmed and stood up from his wheelchair, and for the first time since his injury almost four years prior, he walked unassisted.
"My greatest fears were overcome by every single step," he said.
Cooper said there have been many documented instances where individuals have responded to adrenaline being released into their system and have done amazing, miraculous things, but which usually only last for a short period.
After the seminar, Johnson returned to Cooper Rehabilitation, walking, stunning Cooper and the other physical therapists.
"I literally questioned, did he pull one over on us?" Cooper wondered. "If I was the only one treating him, I would have questioned my diagnostic skills."
"I’ve never seen anything like this before," said Fryer, who has been a physical therapist for 18 years.
Johnson, who is now 50 years old, takes no pain medication and is completely functional on his own.
He continues his physical therapy twice a week to continue his progress. He also has started visiting hospitals and nursing homes to encourage people not to give up hope.
"I’m not saying you can be cured," Johnson said. He said he just lets others know that "with prayer and confidence in your doctors and therapists, you’ll improve."
For all the faith he carries today, Johnson credits the physical therapists at Cooper with keeping him going when he was at his lowest point.
"I had lost all faith and confidence; everything had failed," he said "But they do their job out of love and professionalism."
Even when Medicaid had denied coverage for continuing his treatment, Johnson said the therapists continued to treat him without regard to compensation.
"They showed compassion and concern," he said.
Johnson said he hopes to be able to return to work in the near future, continuing his career as a musical arranger, choreographer and entertainer.
He also said he would like to be able to continue working with the disabled in some capacity.
"This was not an accident. This happened for a reason," he said. "I owe everything to God. If you believe in your heart and have the faith of a mustard seed, you will be healed."
Gail Salomon, a spokeswoman for the Kessler Institute, declined to comment on Johnson’s rehabilitation, citing issues of medical confidentiality and patient privacy.
Dr. Thomas Lammertse, a physiatrist who treated Johnson, did not return phone calls requesting an interview.