{"id":7850,"date":"2025-07-01T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7850"},"modified":"2025-07-01T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T14:30:00","slug":"va-community-living-center-helps-veteran-walk-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7850","title":{"rendered":"VA Community Living Center helps Veteran walk again"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"tni-source-date\"><strong>Originally published:<\/strong> 2025-07-01T14:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n<p>Army Veteran Milton McDonald is walking again thanks to VA.<\/p>\n<p>When heart surgery resulted in a life-threatening infection, the team at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/west-texas-health-care\/\" rel=\"noopener\">West Texas VA <\/a>Community Living Center (CLC) in Big Spring, Texas, helped get the 77-year-old back on his feet.<\/p>\n<p>Designed as a bridge between hospitalization and home, the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/?s=Community+Living+Center&amp;post_type%5B%5D=post&amp;post_type%5B%5D=page&amp;search_limit_to_post_titles=0&amp;add_woo_product_skus=0&amp;fs=1\">CLC <\/a>provides short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing and restorative therapies for Veterans recovering from surgery, illness or injury.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A medical crisis<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/06\/CLC1_r1-scaled.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Army Veteran Milton McDonald works out on the MOTOmed, a rehabilitation therapy device, with VA Certified Nursing Assistant Kasey Forman during his therapy session (Photo by Ricardo Branch, West Texas VA Health Care System Public Affairs Specialist). <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>McDonald underwent surgery in a non-VA hospital to correct atrial fibrillation, a serious heart rhythm disorder. While the procedure itself was successful, McDonald developed sepsis, a dangerous bloodstream infection that rapidly weakened him.<\/p>\n<p>Unable to sit up, walk or even stand, McDonald was transferred to the CLC at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/west-texas-health-care\/locations\/george-h-obrien-jr-department-of-veterans-affairs-medical-center\/\" rel=\"noopener\">George H. O\u2019Brien, Jr. VA Medical Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Nancy Brunson, nurse manager at the CLC, explained that McDonald required immediate care due to the severity of his infection and recent surgery. She said that his recovery began the moment he entered the facility.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Personalized, team-based recovery<\/h2>\n<p>Every Veteran admitted to the CLC receives a personalized care plan crafted by a team of physicians, nurses, therapists, dietitians, social workers and recreation specialists. The team looks beyond medical diagnoses to support the whole person, focusing on what matters most: restoring function, purpose and independence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom the moment I got here, they treated me very well,\u201d McDonald said. \u201cI was a mess. I couldn\u2019t move across a room without getting tired. Now I can move without a wheelchair.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/06\/CLC.4_r2-scaled.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nancy Brunson, Nurse Manager for the VA Community Living Center, checks the heartbeat of Army Veteran Milton McDonald at the George H. O\u2019Brien, Jr. VA Medical Center in Big Spring, Texas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Through intensive therapy, McDonald gradually rebuilt his strength. Physical therapy focused on improving balance, endurance and mobility, while occupational therapy helped him regain the skills needed for daily living, such as dressing, grooming and preparing meals.<\/p>\n<p>The staff also used adaptive equipment and real-world simulations to help McDonald prepare for life at home.<\/p>\n<p>McDonald was determined not to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair and that drive motivated him during his recovery. From the day he arrived at the CLC, he said the staff gave him hope and encouraged him to progress from using a wheelchair to a walker, restoring his independence.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Veteran-centered care<\/h2>\n<p>McDonald\u2019s story is just one of many at the CLC. \u201cOur mission is to empower Veterans,\u201d Brunson said. \u201cWhether they go home or move on to another stage of care, we want them to know they\u2019re not alone on this journey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m ready to get back home,\u201d said McDonald with a smile. \u201cThanks to everyone here, I\u2019m finally strong enough to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p class=\"tni-attribution\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/140818\/va-community-living-center-helps-veteran-walk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When heart surgery resulted in a life-threatening infection, the team at the West Texas VA Community Living Center (CLC) 77-year-old Veteran Milton McDonald back on his feet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":151,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-veteran-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>VA Community Living Center helps Veteran walk again - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When heart surgery resulted in a life-threatening infection, the team at the West Texas VA Community Living Center (CLC) 77-year-old Veteran Milton McDonald back on his feet.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7850\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"VA Community Living Center helps Veteran walk again - 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