Congratulations to the Tuscaloosa Encore Athlete of the Month, T’Antre Spence! T’Antre is a senior athlete at Hale County High School. He has been on the Varsity football team for 5 years now and wears the jersey number 70. T’Antre’s sports awards consist of the 2x Upfront award, Come to Work award and the All Rivals award. He currently has a 3.4 GPA and plans to attend college to become a Sports Athletic Director. T’Antre is the son of Latonya Spence.
Keep up the good work, T’Antre!
Congratulations to the Oak Grove Encore Athlete of the Month, Kourtney Brown! Kourtney is a 8th grade athlete at Oak Grove high school. She has been a member of the varsity Basketball and Volleyball teams for 2 years now and wears the jersey #32, #1, and #10. Kourtney’s future plans are to attend the University of Tennessee or Baylor and major in Physical Therapy or Athletic Training. She is the daughter of Kim and Carol Brown.
Mr. Gates’ Success Story
Ocean Springs Neurosciences Therapist: Stephanie Stensland MS, CCC-SLP
Mr. Gates’ responses to questions:
(Stephanie): Can you tell us about what helped you get to this point?
(Mr. Gates): “My exercises had a whole lot to do with it, my Therabite machine and then tasting food got me ambitious to try hard. I was frightened to eat food and scared that I would choke. But I’m now building confidence and eating more. I thank God for helping me out and sending me to the right people.”
(Stephanie): What’s your advice for others going through swallowing problems associated with head and neck cancer?
(Mr. Gates): When you’re feeling your lowest, stick to your exercises and remember your goals. It makes a difference. You’ve got to invest in yourself and know you can do this thing. I still have my times where I have to clean out my mouth and start over, but I always remember my goals.”
Stephanie’s perspective:
Mr. Gates is the perfect example of a patient who has been consistent to come to therapy, comply with swallowing strategies and complete his home exercises. In July 2013, Mr. Gates was diagnosed with head and neck cancer, requiring chemo, radiation, jaw reconstruction and a feeding tube. He was given doctor’s orders to go “NPO” (nothing by mouth) since he was silently aspirating and at risk for aspiration pneumonia. Since then, Mr. Gates has had an ongoing journey of dysphagia therapy. This November, Mr. Gates’ hard work paid off when he was able to pass his swallow study. He has used a combination of approaches to acquire his success: Choosing appropriate consistencies of food, using the supraglottic swallow strategy, following aspiration precautions and gradually increasing the amount of food he consumes on a week to week basis. Treatment involved several types of oral and pharyngeal strengthening exercises, range of motion exercises, manual therapy to help manage stiff scar tissue, use of the Therabite tool, diet changes (starting with purees and honey thick liquids and working up to mechanical soft and thin liquids) and use of the supraglottic swallow strategy. Mr. Gates continues to use his PEG tube for optimal nutrition, but has been able to safely sample all of his home cooking. We are so excited that Mr. Gates is able to eat just in time for the holidays!
Congratulations to the Clanton Encore Athlete of the Month, Sydnee Robinson! Sydnee is a Sophomore Athlete at Thorsby High School. She plays libero in volleyball and wears the jersey number 8. Sydnee has one older sister named Natalie and enjoys being outside, playing volleyball and softball. Keep up the good work Sydnee!
Congratulations to the Tillman’s Corner Athlete of the Month, Joseph Mohr! Joseph is a Senior at Theodore high school. He has been a member of the varsity Bobcat’s Baseball team for 2 years now and wears jersey number 10. After graduation, Joseph plans to attend Spring Hill College and major in marine biology and minor in forensic sciences. Joseph is the son of Jerry and Angela Mohr.
Keep up the good work Joseph! Good luck during baseball season!
Congratulations to the Hayden Encore Athletes of the Month, Payton McCaleb and Daniel McCain! Both athletes are from Corner high school in Dora, Alabama.
Payton McCaleb is a multi-sport athlete in the 11th grade. She has been a member of the Lady Jacket’s Varsity Cross Country, Track, and Basketball teams for 3 years now. She has a 4.2 GPA and plans to attend college to major in medicine. Payton is the daughter of Kevin and Cindy McCaleb.
Daniel McCain is a senior athlete on the Yellow Jackets Cross Country and Track teams. He has been on the varsity team for 4 years now and has won many awards including 3rd place in the 2013 AHSAA State Track Meet, Top Five in the Cross Country County Meet (9th-12th), County MVP 2015 Outdoor Track. After graduation he plans to attend UAB to major in Civil Engineering. Daniel is the son of Chris and Kristie McCain.
Congratulations to the Winfield Encore Athlete of the Month, Keath Eads! Keath is a junior athlete at Winfield City High School. He is a member of the Pirates Varsity Basketball, Baseball and Football teams for 3 years now and wears the jersey # 24. Keath has a 3.1 GPA and plans to attend Auburn University, after graduation, to obtain an Electrical degree. He is the son of Kevin and Shawna Eads. Keep up the good work, Keath!
Congratulations to the Hamilton Encore Athlete of the Month, Hogan Gann! Hogan is a Freshman athlete at Hamilton high school. He is a member of the Bulldog Football and Basketball team and wears jersey #15. This is his first year on the varsity teams and will graduate in 2019. Hogan is the son of Rusty and Melissa Gann. Keep up the good work, Hogan!
Congratulations to the Arab Encore Athlete of the Month, Trace Pardue! Trace is a Senior at Arab High School. He is a member of the Knight’s Football and Baseball teams and wears the jersey numbers 22 and 2, respectively. He has wracked up a few awards throughout his sports career including the Football All-County and All-State Honorable Mention, as well as, the Baseball All-County award. Trace has a 3.8 GPA and plans to play a college sport and major in Physical Therapy. He is the son of Steve Pardue and Teresa Lively. Keep up the good work, Trace!
Congratulations to the Diamondhead Encore Athlete of the Month, Kayde Ladner! Kayde is a 6th grade, athlete at Hancock Middle School. She is a member of the Hawks Middle School Basketball team and wears the jersey # 20. Her future plans are to go to college and become a coach. Kayde is the daughter of Schran and Stephanie Ladner. Keep up the good work, Kayde!
Encore Rehabilitation, Inc. 