Mokena Man Walks Out of Silver Cross Hospital Following Treatment for Guillain-Barre Syndrome

One morning, Bo Boll couldn’t open a bottle of Gatorade. His wife Sandra had to help him. “I felt weak, the energy drained out of me,” said Boll, age 74. “My doctor told me to call an ambulance. Then I collapsed. I couldn’t move my arms or legs.”

At Silver Cross Hospital, tests revealed evidence of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare disorder where the immune system attacks the nervous system. “I thought, If I can’t move, I don’t want my wife to have to take care of me,” said Boll. “Just let me go.”

Boll was wheeled into the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s 28-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit at Silver Cross. Physical Therapist Jada Green and Occupational Therapist Lindsay Sloan got to work. Every day, they would cajole and use humor to convince Boll he could do more. “They kept saying, ‘You will walk out of here,’” said Boll, who soon began trusting himself. “I started getting out of the wheelchair on my own. If they said, ‘Take 30 steps,’ I would take 50.”

Dr. Ross Coolidge at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab oversaw Boll’s case. “This is the outcome we would have hoped for months or years down the road,” he said.

Although no cause is known, Dr. Coolidge said Guillain-Barre Syndrome often begins following a virus. In its most serious form, it affects the respiratory system and can be fatal. Boll said the week before the attack, he was prescribed antibiotics for a respiratory issue.

“It was his determination to get better,” said Green. “His wife also provided so much support.”

His parting gift was something very special. “I began using a line from an old Clint Eastwood movie: ‘Adapt and Overcome,’” said Boll. “They gave me a T-Shirt with ‘Adapt and Overcome’ on it, signed by the whole staff. I got up from the wheelchair and walked to my wife’s car. They were right, I did walk out of there.”

To learn about the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab at Silver Cross Hospital, visit silvercross.org.