What began as a simple mosquito bite became a life-threatening battle with West Nile virus that left Christopher Reardon unconscious for nearly two months and fighting to survive.
After suddenly developing severe flu-like symptoms and being unable to keep down food or water, Chris was hospitalized at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Beyond the first few days of illness, he remembers nothing from the following two months. In his words, he simply “napped for 70 days.”
When he was medically stable enough for the next stage of care, Chris was transferred to Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Westborough, where the long and difficult work of recovery truly began.
Chris arrived at Whittier requiring intensive, life-sustaining support. During this fragile period, he experienced a cardiac event and was briefly transferred back to acute care before returning to Whittier’s Long-Term Acute Care Hospital unit to continue treatment. The uncertainty weighed heavily on him. His greatest fear was not knowing whether he would recover or what his life might look like if he did. He credits the Whittier team with helping him through what he described as his “lowest of lows,” recalling that the staff were “fantastic… so positive and affirmative.”
Over the next two months, Chris participated in comprehensive rehabilitation that gradually restored his strength, awareness, and independence. A reader of Greek philosophy, he reflected during his recovery on the ancient belief that a meaningful life comes from contributing value to society. He saw that same sense of purpose in the clinicians and caregivers supporting him each day. One morning, a simple realization struck him: he had lived another day, and life itself was a gift.
In late December, Chris progressed to Whittier’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility, where therapy intensified and his independence rapidly improved. Working closely with his rehabilitation team, he rebuilt the skills needed for daily life—walking, speaking clearly, organizing his thoughts, and solving problems. Therapists described his transformation as remarkable, from being unable to follow directions and dependent on a ventilator to walking out of the hospital under his own power with his personality fully intact. His determination played a central role, as he consistently pushed himself to regain strength and return to his baseline.
On January 19, just months after falling critically ill, Chris was strong enough to return home. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he shared that he could not fully express how much the Whittier staff meant to him before offering a statement that captured the entire journey: “I honestly credit Whittier with saving my life.”
Most people infected with West Nile virus experience mild or no symptoms, but in rare cases the virus can cause severe neurological illness requiring prolonged hospitalization, respiratory support, and comprehensive rehabilitation. Chris’s experience highlights the essential role specialized rehabilitation hospitals play in helping critically ill patients recover function, independence, and hope.
Today, Chris is back home with his family, continuing life with a renewed sense of gratitude and purpose. His journey—from mosquito bite to coma to walking out of Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital—stands as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, the importance of expert rehabilitation care, and the extraordinary impact of compassionate healthcare teams. For the clinicians who cared for him, seeing Chris return home was more than a medical success. It was the reason they do what they do every day.
In closing, here are some thoughts from two of the therapists on his team.
Samantha Crose, PT, DPT, CBIS, LSVT-BIG noted: “So, Chris’ recovery isn’t necessarily out of the ordinary for what we typically see for patients on the LTAC and that’s why we all enjoy treating patients over there because we get to see them recover so remarkably over time. Chris went from not being alert enough to follow directions, on a ventilator to walking out of here on his own and back to speaking fluent sarcasm. Due to several complications, it took awhile for him to be weaned from the ventilator and decannulated, there was a week at one point where he was coughing roughly every two minutes which was so frustrating for him. But through everything, he was harder on himself than any of us were on him – he always was pushing to be better, more independent. If a patient isn’t willing to put in the work and have that drive, we can only do so much to facilitate their return to their baseline. We all had a great time working with him, getting to know him and his family, and seeing what he was capable of these past few months.”
Erica Thayer, MS, CCC-SLP said: “Patients come here to get well and be inspired, but once in a while I am inspired by my patients, and Chris Reardon is one of them. I will never forget him and his family. He was so determined to get better and when he had a setback, he became frustrated because he recognized his therapists and his family’s dedication to his progress. He was grumpy at times, but we all recognized his HUGE heart and how much his sisters adore him. Seeing him walk out the door, eat, and complete high level organization/problem solving tasks using strategies that I taught him, makes me so proud. We are all so proud of him!”
