During a hike above Angora Lake, Jordan Frederick, an active father of two, took a 75-foot fall into the lake, sustaining multiple injuries.
"My leg bones went through my shoes, and I shattered my hip. When I lifted my arm out of the water to grab a rock, I saw that my left hand had been torn off," Frederick recalls.
Airlifted to the nearest medical center in Reno, Frederick underwent surgery to re-attach his left hand and amputate his left leg six inches below the knee. After a five-week stay in the intensive care unit, Frederick transferred to Sutter Rehabilitation Institute to learn how to function again.
Therapists initially began working with Jordan on simple tasks, such as sitting in a chair and strengthening his legs and core. While waiting for his prosthetic leg, he learned how to use a walker while hopping on one leg. Frederick credits his therapists for his quick recovery.
"At first I was mad that they were forcing me to do so much," Frederick says. "When I realized that that was the only way I was going to get my life back, I appreciated every minute of it."
His boss at Intech-Mechanical, Rick Chowdry, also saw the impact Sutter Rehabilitation Institute made in Frederick's recovery. After touring the facility, Chowdry made a donation to the Institute.
"Jordan spoke very highly about his care and the proof is in the pudding," Rick says. "When I visited SRI, you could see how much the therapists genuinely care about each patient. It's a tremendous facility."
Thanks in part to generous donations, Sutter Rehabilitation Institute recently completed an $8 million expansion to help even more patients like Frederick return to independent, productive lives after a major illness or injury.
Today, Frederick is back at work as a plumber and pipefitter for Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento's midtown expansion project. He enjoys cycling, hiking and playing with his children, and is waiting on a special prosthetic leg so that he can swim again.
"I've had to make some adjustments, but I'm doing the things I love to do again," Frederick says.