Gratitude Stories – Bennett
Vanderbilt Helps Bring Bennett Back
By any measure, Bennett Hirsch has led a very physically active life. Among many other things, he’s been a marathon runner, ski instructor, sailor, and mountain climber. He’s done all of it with great gusto, too. For example, Bennett achieved Adirondack 46er status for ascending all 46 high peaks in the famous New York State mountains with elevations of 4,000 feet or higher.
“What can I say,” he jokes, “I just don’t know how to do stuff halfway.”
Unfortunately, the impact of Bennett’s ultra demanding athletic pursuits on his body has been no laughing matter. “I really destroyed my back over the years,” he concedes, “which eventually led me to needing surgeries.”
His most recent procedure was a total laminectomy in the fall of 2024. The surgery included the removal of the arched back piece of Bennett’s vertebrae, called the lamina, to create more space within his spinal canal and reduce the pressure on his spinal cord and nerve roots, which was causing Bennett considerable pain and discomfort.
That operation was successful, but complications from a previous back surgery four years ago—which weren’t detected or treated—exacerbated Bennett’s condition and caused neuropathy, drop foot, and bladder issues.
Faced with these challenging health issues, the rehabilitation component of his post-operative care would need to be delivered at an exceptionally high level if Bennett had any chance of returning to everyday functionality. Fortunately, the staff at Newport Hospital’s Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Center are just as driven and determined as Bennett and deeply invested in their patients’ recovery.
Over three-and-a-half weeks in Vanderbilt’s 24-hour therapeutic environment, Bennett received direct nursing care and intensive physician-directed therapies, education, and training. His personalized care plan combined occupational and physical therapy aided by adaptive technologies, like a “mock” car to practice getting in and out of.
The goal was to support Bennett’s return home and ensure he could live as independently as possible once he got there—and it’s working. “I couldn’t walk, stand, shower, or go to the bathroom by myself when I got to Vanderbilt,” Bennett recounts. “But when I left, I could do all those things and more.”
Today, Bennett says he’s “about 50 percent” back to his former self and getting stronger every day. He’s able to drive his car, do most daily tasks, and enjoy various activities and outings with his wife Dori and their three 20-something children. Recently, Bennett also returned to his job as a child and adolescent psychologist. None of this, he adds, would have been possible without the care he received at Newport Hospital.
“I was feeling pretty depressed and down about my health and lack of independence before I got to Vanderbilt,” Bennett admits. “But after, I was buoyed up and ready to face the world. For someone in a dark place, like I was, Vanderbilt is a bright light and a real gem.”