Last week at this time, I was being interviewed over the phone by a reporter from the Detroit Free Press. Pat Amstett, a medical business writer, had been referred to us by Daria Drobny, the Learning Resource Coordinator at Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM), where my sister Julie was recovering from a stroke after a severe cerebral hemorrhage. When we were finished she told me she had planned to use our story as a sidebar to a main article she was writing about how families of patients use technology to help them through a health crisis. After hearing the details of Julie’s story though, she decided there was enough there for a story in its own right.

Pat asked if she and a staff photographer could be present at RIM when Julie was released the next day. Julie had been living in a series of hospitals, rehabilitation centers and other long term care facilities since July 19th, 2008. Julie and the rest of the family gave their consent. This was the day we were all waiting for and it seemed appropriately newsworthy to us to have the press in tow!

The story is scheduled for print on Monday, January 12th–I will post a link if and when available.