It all started around October 11th, 2019, when Mindy Basis suddenly became ill.

Despite multiple trips to the urgent care and her primary care physician, Mindy found herself in that moment needing to seek additional medical care immediately.

As she entered Bethesda West, it was just the beginning of what ended up being a life-altering experience. She was immediately diagnosed with a strain of influenza type A, known as H1N1. At only 46 years old, but already days in without treatment, she developed double pneumonia and was transferred immediately to the ICU in critical condition. At that point, she went on a bypass machine and her stats were dropping significantly. She was intubated, put on a ventilator, and then ultimately transferred to the JFK ICU to have access to the ECMO treatment.

She was on life-support

• Her family was told they should be making arrangements for the worst possible case scenario.
• Her kidneys were failing, her health was declining rapidly
• She was a possible double lung transplant candidate.
• Her doctors were doing everything in their power to keep her alive, but their options were quickly dwindling.

Road to Recovery

On December 4th, nearly 3 months after this all started, Mindy walked into FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers. Center Director, Ed Campbell, stated “When Mindy first came in, she was on oxygen and you could tell she was a little bit nervous about doing any exercise, let alone anything strenuous. After just a few sessions, she was able to up enough confidence to progress onward and take it to the next level. Every time she came in for her next appointment, she had a renewed confidence level and wanted to push forward in order to regain her life back.” It was a match made in heaven: Mindy found a team of clinicians that believed in her as much as she believed in herself…with fun and hardworking personalities driving her care!

Staying Positive

As we interviewed Mindy, her stoic outlook on life was what really stood out. Despite the pain and suffering she endured, she still found a way to fight harder every day. She exuberantly shared her story and was compelled by the opportunity to inspire others. As a speech and language pathologist, wife and mother of two sons, and a true warrior, we think everyone can be motivated by Mindy. She is a candid example of what it means to take health into your own hands and find strength in every step of the process. Let this be the year you decide to take matters into your own hands, to live and love your life relentlessly.