Leona Spruiell

Leona Spruiell and her husband have always been very active. Married for thirteen years, they enjoy reading and going on cruises (their favorite was an Alaskan cruise with Charles Stanley. The couple has also been very involved at their church, First Church of the Nazarene in Abernathy, where Leona played the piano.

Leona had been playing the piano the day their new pastor was installed at the church. She recalls that after playing, she fell when walking off the platform, hitting her head and breaking her glasses. After the service, Leona went to Lubbock Heart & Surgical Hospital to get checked out. She underwent a CT scan and was discharged with no concerns.

A few days later, Leona fell again, this time on her patio. Her pastor came by to help her up. Though her knee hurt, Leona recalls feeling fine otherwise. But after a few more days, Leona fell once more at church. Again, her pastor came to her rescue, but Leona didn’t feel the need to seek medical attention.

Prone to sleepwalking, Leona tripped over her shoe just days before Christmas. Still, her only complaint was some pain in her knee. Then, Leona and her husband each fell while in their backyard, tripping on a hole.

On Christmas Day, Leona went to play the piano for a church in Seagraves. The song leader kept asking her questions, but Leona would give the same answer repeatedly. Later, she tried to read a poem for the congregation but experienced difficulty pronouncing words.

A couple of days later, Leona went to a friend’s house for lunch. There, she lost all ability to speak. Her friend immediately called an ambulance, which transported Leona to Covenant Medical Center. There, Leona underwent a CT scan which revealed three brain bleeds. That same day, she underwent surgery to repair the bleeds.

Following surgery, her social worker at the hospital began to discuss a rehabilitation plan with Leona. She knew that Trustpoint Rehabilitation Hospital of Lubbock was there she wanted to go for her recovery. Leona’s husband had previously been a patient, and they had a wonderful experience.

Leona arrived at Trustpoint determined to work hard and get better. “I need to be independent and strong to take care of my 95-year-old-husband,” she shared. Leona also wanted to get back to playing the piano at church.

Leona is well-equipped for her recovery. She has a great support system, including her two sons and her pastor, Kaleb Hughes, who visited her at the hospital. Leona also has the benefit of the clinical expertise of the Trustpoint staff.

“Trustpoint has been hands-on from day one!” Leona shared. “Sarah and Haley (OT) have been amazing, and Savannah and Brooke have helped tremendously with speech and language.” However, Fabian stood out the most to her. He brought Leona to the chapel to let her see that she could play the piano again. “Everyone has really paid attention to my needs,” she said, adding, “Trustpoint is simply the best!”