Patient Stories

Young Mom Credits Mercy Rehabilitation for Recovery From Rare Condition

Korbie Oellrich – a healthy, 23-year-old with no known health issues – couldn’t have imagined how much her health would change in 2024. Lower back pain led to Guillain-Barré syndrome and months of rehabilitation. Read Korbie's story.

Plumber Recovers at Mercy After Nearly Being Buried Alive

What started as a normal work day – digging a trench for a sewer line – radically changed to almost being buried alive. Keith was digging in a trench when he noticed the dirt was changing to sand that had been backfilled, which caused a weak spot in the way he was staggering the dirt. Read Keith's story.

College Student Overcomes Rare Condition With Help from Mercy

When 21-year-old Nick O’Toole was diagnosed with mono at the beginning of his spring semester at Iowa State University, he was just a little tired and had a cough. Little did he know that, within weeks, he would be fighting for his life as he knew it. Read Nick's story.

Jessica's Journey: Steps of Progress

Nothing added up. Jessica Walters was flying home from a family vacation on March 8 when she started experiencing a terrible headache. One week later, she had difficulty swallowing her food at dinnertime. Then, she had problems drinking water. It all seemed strange to her, but not necessarily alarming. Read Jessica's story.

Mercy IRU Helps Man from Bedridden to Front-Porch Sittin’

In November 2017, 54-year-old Michael Allred discovered a strange lump on his chest. “One day I had an itch,” says the Wayland, Iowa, resident. “That’s when I felt a lump in my breast.” The lump was breast cancer, an uncommon diagnosis in men. Read Michael's story.

Cherishing Life's Moments

July 9, 2015, was a day like any other for then 45-year-old Jodi Houser. She ran a few errands in Cedar Rapids and treated herself to a massage before starting the drive home to Walker. Then, in an instant, everything changed. Read more on page 12 (PDF).