Fifteen years have gone by since Queena Phu was discharged from HealthSouth Rehabilitation.
“I remember preparing Queena for the transition back home on Wednesday, November 5, 2008,” said her mother, Vanna Nguyen. “We dressed her in a pink shirt and pink sweatpants. Nurses and therapists came into her room to say tearful goodbyes, just as the staff had done at the hospital.”
She was attacked and brutally beaten in April 2008 at the Bloomingdale Library. Phu’s injuries left her with many disabilities and changed her life forever.
“Queena has had ups and downs,” Nguyen said. “For many years, she was struggling with seizures and gagging, but now she continues to be able to complete sit-to-stand transitions with moderate assistance. She can sit upright with feet firmly on the ground, with verbal cues to control her neck and head to maintain an upright position. She is working on muscle tone management during active movements. She is still very attentive and aware of her environment and loves to hear stories about the important people around her.”
Phu is very aware of her journey, but she is trapped and frustrated because she struggles to express her needs, thoughts and feelings.
“She has taken comfort in her surroundings; comfort with the people she loves and that know her best; comfort in the places that she is familiar with — her home, her sister’s home, her therapy sessions at home and in the clinics,” Nguyen said. “Unfamiliar people and places oftentimes will bring her unrest and anxiety. Her journey in the last 15 years is only the beginning, as she encounters something new every day, every month, every year. She is still on her path, and she is extremely grateful for all those who have surrounded her thus far.”
Phu has shown a lot of strength and determination over the years. “Everyone around her is amazed at her strength and determination to continue forward,” Nguyen said. “If I could imagine what she would say if she could only speak the words, ‘I am giving this path everything I’ve got!’”
Phu’s innate passion and strength has always been there, and it continues now. “It’s what fueled her when she was a student, always striving to do her best,” Nguyen said. “She had goals such as getting into UF, receiving scholarships, traveling to places she has never been. She is still always striving for personal best — not for anybody else, but herself.”
If you would like to learn more about Queena’s journey, you can visit her website at www.joinqueena.com.
