Jasmine “Coco” Whiteside was not herself.
Usually reliable and upbeat, the University of Southern Mississippi senior had begun ditching plans with friends and texting photos of herself crying.
Her mother, Angela Whiteside, was baffled. She knew her daughter as intelligent and independent, the kind of kid who takes care of business.
“Whatever you wanted or needed, Coco was there for you,” Whiteside said. “Ain’t nobody perfect, but she was perfect.”
And now she was a perfect mess.
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Charles and Anne Hooker of Jackson have enjoyed plenty of meals together during their 48 years of marriage.
But this was a first—sitting side by side in wheelchairs while dining at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson.
“We hadn’t anticipated this,” Charles said.
Ordinarily, it’s Anne who needs medical care. She has multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and severe scoliosis.
But when Charles had a stroke just before Anne underwent shoulder surgery, the two 70-year-olds suddenly needed a setting where both could recoup. And Anne knew just the place.
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As a graphic design instructor at Mississippi College, Karlos Taylor relies on his artist’s hand and his gift of gab to inspire students.
But after a stroke last year, he found himself stripped of those gifts and unsure if he would ever get them back.
Everything seemed normal the night of October 26. Taylor had been having some headaches, but attributed them to the stress of his job.
“But as I was going to bed, I felt very dizzy,” Taylor said.
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Walter S. Weems of Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC, in Jackson has been named chairman of the board of trustees for Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson.
At Brunini, Weems serves as principal outside counsel for both traditional corporations and a number of entrepreneurs. His practice areas include corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and real estate. He was chairman of Brunini’s board of directors from 1999 to 2010.
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Doug Boone of Jackson has joined the staff of Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson as vice president of business development and community relations. He is responsible for continuous development, improvement and promotion of MRC's brand and increasing the utilization of MRC's clinical services. He supports all MRC business lines, manages community relations, oversees strategic business development and develops customer loyalty.
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Jamecca Jones has enjoyed “making people look beautiful” since the days she fashioned ponytails and freeze curls for her Bailey High School classmates.
So when a gunshot wound put her in a wheelchair, the Jackson hairstylist was determined to keep the job she loves.
First, she balanced on stacked pillows to reach clients at Shades of Color in Jackson. But that rickety perch has now been replaced by the wizardry of a standing wheelchair.
With a push of a button, Jones can once again rise to her feet and let her fingers fly.
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Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson has named its latest Employees of the Quarter.
Pat Green of Jackson was named Clinical Services Employee of the Quarter. She serves as a urology licensed practical nurse (LPN) for MRC’s radiology department.
Patricia Conerly of Brandon was named Support Services Employee of the Quarter. She serves as collector for MRC’s business office.
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Beverly Brower of Jackson is one of nearly 9 million Americans affected by scoliosis, a condition that causes painful curvature of the spine. And in her early teens, her issues were severe enough to require surgery.
“I was pretty much problem free after that for a very long time,” said Brower, who is now 34. “But as I got older, I started to notice some changes and had more pain and just general discomfort.”
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Shelby Cissom of Dry Creek took her first ATV ride buckled into a baby seat on her father’s four-wheeler.
She ended her last strapped to a gurney and headed for a trauma center.
It’s a common fate in a state that ranks No. 15 in ATV-related deaths. And no one knows that better than staff at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson.
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More than two years after a paralyzing car wreck, Nikosha Anderson’s life was finally coming back together.
She had returned to college, her 5-year-old son was starting school and she was finishing rehab.
“Everything was falling into place,” the Jackson resident said.
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