Multidisciplinary Care Helps Woman With Cerebral Palsy Live Life Without Limitations

Isabell Villacis has never run barefoot across the beach and jumped into the Atlantic Ocean near her New Jersey home, but she has felt the sand on her skin and the shock of icy water.

In a performance for a local arts program, Isabell described her first time, at age 38, “indulging in the sea.” As an individual with cerebral palsy, Isabell uses a wheelchair and has difficulty speaking, so a helper read her words on stage:

 “I felt like a mermaid. I felt like a goddess of the sea. The queen of my world. Graceful and untouchable,” said Isabell through her helper. “It feels so good to know that there are no limitations, that with the help of great people, you can do anything.”

An Integrative Approach to Lifelong Care

The great people helping Isabell include her family and Roger Rossi, D.O., who has been Isabell’s physiatrist for over 25 years at Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute.

“He’s got my back,” Isabell says.

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder affecting body movement and muscle coordination. The disease itself, which occurs during pregnancy or is detected in early infancy, is not progressive, however the secondary effects can worsen over time.

The transition from childhood to adulthood can be particularly challenging for patients like Isabell, as they often need to find new providers with whom to build lasting partnerships. At JFK Johnson and through its broad network, Isabell can get all the therapies she needs.

Isabell works with Dr. Rossi to prioritize her independence — whether through activities of daily living, speaking, or managing pain.

“We offer an integrative, multidisciplinary program that addresses an individual’s needs at specific points in time as well as through the whole continuum of their lives,” says Dr. Rossi, who is the medical director of the acute rehabilitation unit at St. Joseph’s Health Rehabilitation, which is a partnership with JFK Johnson.

Respect, Empathy and Compassionate Care

During her more than two decades with Dr. Rossi and his team, Isabell has taken advantage of occupational therapy, physical therapy, cerebral palsy-specific therapies, wheelchair modifications, equine-assisted therapy, speech therapy, mental health therapies and integrative therapies, such as acupuncture, meditation and relaxation therapies.

As much as those therapies have enhanced her quality of life, the relationships she has built with Dr. Rossi and her care team over the years bring the most value.

“He’s right there when I need him the most,” Isabell says.

That personal support from Dr. Rossi, the care team, and her family has encouraged Isabell to find creative outlets to channel and share her personality and experiences. She writes essays and poetry and has self-published two books. She has exhibited her paintings and graphic designs, and some of them hang on the walls of Dr. Rossi’s office.

“I’ve learned art as a language to express myself,” says Isabell.

“When you see someone for over 25 years, you develop a level of comfort and understanding. From the administrative assistant to the care team, we all know her,” says Dr. Rossi. “Sometimes the respect, empathy, and compassion that’s delivered is just as important as the medicines.”

Next Steps & Resources

• Meet our source: Roger Rossi, D.O.
• To make an appointment with a physiatrist near you, call 800-822-8905 or visit our website.
• Learn more about physical therapy and rehabilitation at Hackensack Meridian Health.