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Colorado Neurological Institute (CNI)
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Patient Stories - 2005 Hope Awards
Below are just a sample of the success stories at CNI - our 2005 Hope Award Recipients.
Also meet our current year's Hope Award recipients.
Allan Hetzel
Referred to CNI shortly after he and his wife relocated from Dallas to Denver, Allan underwent two consecutive surgeries to remove most of it. Despite a hard road to recovery, Allan emerged from the experience with renewed optimism and a clear conviction. “A lot of good came from my experience with CNI,” Allan explains. “It made me realize what’s really important in life. It also makes me want to help others facing similar challenges.” Determined to give back in some way, Allan put his lifelong love for cycling to work for the benefit of other CNI patients. He began by selling bike parts online to benefit the organization. He even purchased and donated a large quantity of books by one of his own inspirations, Lance Armstrong, with whom Allan shares a special connection. “Like Lance, I lived in Plano, Texas,” he explains. “A few years ago, I had the chance to meet him at an event in Denver. We talked for awhile about Plano, cycling – and even similar procedures we’d undergone during our respective treatments.” As Allan became stronger, he took his efforts on the road – literally. He organized a CNI riding team with Dr. Nancy Powers, a neuropsychologist, and participated in the 2003 Ride the Rockies, a 400-plus mile road race, during which they raised more than $3,000 to help fund CNI patient services. In 2004, he achieved similar results in the Elephant Rock Cycling Festival in Castle Rock, Colorado. He even got a few of CNI’s physicians to join the teams, and has inspired his own neurosurgeon to take up road biking. For Allan, every chance he has to get on his bike is an opportunity to offer hope to others. “I keep my hair short on purpose,” he admits, “so when we stop riding and I take off my helmet, people see my scar. And maybe…just one person will think, ‘If he can make it, then so can I.’” BACK TO TOPAllen “AC” Howerton
Affecting his entire left side, his speech and his ability to swallow, the stroke required AC to undergo extensive rehabilitation to regain basic balance, movement and other capabilities. Unfortunately, AC’s rehabilitation benefits didn’t extend as far as his needs. That’s when he discovered the CNI NeuroHealth Center. “Although my benefits were exhausted, I was able to continue my rehabilitation at the Center. And the care there has been exceptional. It’s an incredibly positive place to be – I make improvements with every visit.” In fact, AC has regained his ability to swallow and walk on his own, and he is able to drive, use his left hand— and even fish. But he’s also discovered that he has new capabilities as well…inspiring other recovering stroke patients. “At the Center, I learned a lot about recognizing and celebrating even the smallest signs of progress. I know how important it was for me to realize that I was improving even when I didn’t necessarily recognize it myself. I try to do the same for other patients.” AC is also participating in a clinical research trial that is targeting secondary stroke prevention, and he has presented to the CNI board of directors and the Spalding Community Foundation about the positive impact that the CNI rehabilitation program has had on his life. “I feel like I’m part of a team at CNI. I look forward to going there because I always walk out a little stronger. For me, it’s a feeling of accomplishment every time. It’s like catching the fish.” BACK TO TOPLeslie Linart
By the time she was referred to CNI, the seizures were occurring several times a day. She could no longer work, attend school or even drive. For Leslie, it was like being held hostage from her husband, her two daughters…her life. At CNI, she found hope. Working with her neurologist, Dr. Barbara Phillips, Leslie learned she was an ideal candidate for a specialized surgery that would effectively remove the portion of her brain that was inducing the seizures. After several weeks of preparatory tests and hospital stays, a portion of Leslie’s right temporal lobe was surgically removed. The results were immediate and dramatic. “CNI gave me back my life,” Leslie explains. “The seizures stopped immediately and within five months, I was even able to drive again.” Of course, returning to work and school took a bit more time, but eventually Leslie has been able to resume every aspect of her life. She recently even earned her degree in General Studies. But if you ask Leslie what the most important benefit of her experience with CNI has been, she’ll tell you it’s not so much about what she’s gained, but rather about what she’s been able to give back to her family. “It’s allowed me to have a relationship with my kids that doesn’t require them to feel responsible for me,” she says. “I can just be a mom again.” BACK TO TOPAnne Peterson
Although she was diagnosed with dystonia by a neurologist almost immediately, the treatment she was receiving wasn’t alleviating the symptoms. In fact, they were progressively worsening. By the time she was referred to Dr. Lauren Seeburger at CNI, she presented numerous debilitating symptoms, including blepharospasm, orofacial dyskinesia and cervical dystonia. This rare combination of diagnoses, known as Meige Syndrome, caused painful and unrelenting muscle spasms around Anne’s eyes, nose, mouth, neck and shoulders. “It had completely disabled me,” she recalls. “I couldn’t walk, talk, work or even eat properly. Within a few short months, I lost around 20 pounds. I had no energy. I couldn’t even play with my sons.” Specializing in the treatment of multiple dystonia disorders, Dr. Seeburger was able to provide Anne with precise Botox injections in the effected muscles to bring the movements under control. For Anne, the results have been miraculous. Administered every 90 days, the treatments allow her to eat and maintain a healthy diet, work part-time and join her husband in caring for their two young sons. Anne has set herself to the task of finding out all she can know about her condition, even traveling to a Young Onset Dystonia Symposium where she discovered others who have similar disorders. This education also provided her with a way to help others. In fact, Anne now acts as an advocate for other patients with similar neurological disorders. She receives numerous emails from individuals around the country through her online participation in the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation. “I tell them about my experience at CNI,” she says. “And that gives many hope.” These days, Anne spends a lot of time playing with her sons and simply enjoying the fact that she can smile at everything they do. “My three year old is just learning to recognize emotion through facial expressions,” she says. “When he sees me, I never have to worry that he’ll be confused by the effects of the dystonia. He’ll just know I'm happy.” BACK TO TOP
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Injuries often go hand-in-hand with sports like cycling.
But Allan Hetzel bears a scar that turns the heads of even the most seasoned
riders. Five years ago, Allan was diagnosed with a low-grade desembryoplastic
neuroepithelial tumor – a brain tumor. 
As
an accomplished fisherman, Allen “AC” Howerton learned early-on
the importance of even the smallest movements when it comes to casting
and reeling in a catch. More recently however, those kinds of small movements
have had much greater meaning for AC – because they are signs of
his continual progress following a stroke he suffered last year.
Leslie
Linart is a wife. A mom. A tax professional. A bartender. And a part-time
student. The one thing she could never imagine being, however, was a burden
– to anyone. But 10 years ago she suffered a head injury and subsequently
started having seizures that, over time, began to increase in both frequency
and intensity. 
Anne
Peterson, a young, vivacious woman, first started to realize there might
be a problem when she began squinting her eyes a lot. Then she noticed
random movements in other areas of her face. She started turning her head
quickly, repeatedly and uncontrollably to the side. By then, she knew
something was terribly wrong.
Sophia
& Emma Schlager
