When Heather McGrath steps to the starting line at a 5K road race tomorrow, she will be an immediate winner, already beating the odds by overcoming a traumatic brain injury sustained years ago in a car crash. The crash initially left McGrath in a coma, but she survived and began, slowly, to get better. The New London resident eventually chose her hometown hospital, Lawrence + Memorial, for her rehabilitation, both inpatient and outpatient, and she credits her doctors and therapists with playing a huge role in her success. In fact, on Saturday, McGrath will be flanked by two of her current therapists from L+M’s Signature Outpatient Rehabilitation Center in Waterford. L+M’s Ausberto Perez, PT, and Amy Mooradian, DPT, will run with McGrath to show support for their courageous patient. “When Heather said she wanted to run a 5K race, there was no doubt in my mind she could do it,” Perez says. “She is very dedicated to her recovery. It has been a great pleasure to work with her.” Mooradian said she looks forward to running alongside McGrath, calling her “a real inspiration.” As for her therapists, “They’re great,” McGrath says. “They helped me get to this point, and now they’re taking some of their own time to be with me in the race. I just think it’s wonderful.”
