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Play Ball! Therapy Prepares 98-Year-Old to Wind Up for First Pitch
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LISLE, IL
10/28/2008 |
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Burdell Humbert, a 98-year-old resident of The Devonshire of Lisle in Illinois, nearly gave up the opportunity of a lifetime if he hadn’t tapped into the benefits of therapy to achieve a lifetime goal. Jan Hutchinson, Executive Director of The Devonshire of Lisle, a Brookdale Senior Living community, came to Humbert with a unique request - to toss out the first pitch at a DuPage Dragons ball game in Lisle, Ill.
"At first, Burdell was very reluctant, and was hesitant to agree to do it," Hutchinson said. "After some gentle prodding, I discovered he was afraid that he would fall."
Not wanting him to miss this opportunity, the two worked it out that if Hutchinson could get Humbert someone to help ensure he would not fall, then he would do it.
Humbert embraced this opportunity, and began to prepare as soon as possible. He understood he could use some assistance to accomplish this lifelong dream, so Hutchinson turned to the onsite therapy offered at his senior living residence, Innovative Senior Care (ISC). A comprehensive health and wellness program offering integrated and proactive solutions designed for seniors, ISC is exclusive to Brookdale Senior Living communities.
Hutchinson contacted Abhi Mulamalla, the ISC Manager onsite at The Devonshire of Lisle, and asked for his help to get Humbert ready for the big day. Mulamalla and Humbert practiced for a couple of weeks prior to the event, and discovered that at Humbert’s age an overhand throw would most likely cause him to fall backward. They came up with the solution of throwing underhand. To perfect this solution, they worked together on accuracy and distance.
"Therapy is not just about exercise and getting stronger, it’s about assessing where you are and helping you to get to where you would like to be," Mulamalla said.
The special night came, and Humbert headed to the pitcher’s mound. He threw out the first pitch, and the ball went straight over home plate. The crowd erupted in applause.
When some of the younger fans heard that Humbert was 98 years old, there mouths dropped open and their eyes lit up in awe.
"Burdell used therapy and worked hard to achieve his goal," said Mulamalla. "By achieving such great success, he is a true example of the benefits of therapy, and gained a new set of fans that now have a respect for accomplishments made in older age."
When asked how he did, however, Burdell joked, "Well, I don’t know, they took me out after the first pitch".
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Contact: Holly Botsford, Public Relations Manager, 414-918-5314,
hbotsford@brookdaleliving.com
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