2 MIN READ
Career Stories: Physical Therapy
Our physical therapists share their unique stories on how they chose their career.
By: Heartspring
Have you ever wondered what motivates our therapists to choose their careers? Every Heartspring employee has a special story tied to their path to Heartspring - and for our physical therapists, the motivation came from unique personal experiences.
For Cheryl, a high school job as a lifeguard made her realize that aquatic therapy - a form of physical therapy - can be entirely life-changing.
When I was in high school, we had a family friend/neighbor who had a daughter with cerebral palsy. At the time, I also happened to be a lifeguard at a nearby country club. Her mom asked me one day if would be willing to do swim lessons with her at the pool. Although I knew I wasn’t truly teaching her to swim, the joy I felt when I saw her face light up in the water was what drew me to wanting to work with children. I always knew that I wanted to work in the health profession, but it wasn’t until a high school internship that allowed me to observe in a variety of medical fields that I decided physical therapy was it for me. To know that I could someday help little girls like my neighbor that’s all it took. This profession has been so fulfilling. The relationships that I have developed with families and the impact I get to make in the lives of children has never made me think twice about what I’m doing. -Cheryl Jabara, Heartspring physical therapist
For Jesica, the ultimate motivation came from having children of her own and experiencing the joy of helping them grow.
I have been a physical therapist for more than 13 years. I started my journey in outpatient orthopedics but have also worked in settings including home health, skilled nursing, and a hospital. It was not until I had children of my own that I realized how much I enjoyed working with children. I have really enjoyed growing my knowledge base for pediatrics over the past year. It is amazing watching my clients grow and learn new skills. -Jesica Fitzwilliams, Heartspring physical therapist
And for Erin, it took surgery and a lengthy recovery to realize a newfound passion for the field.
My story about why I became a PT is pretty cliché…the typical ACL tear in high school followed by six months of physical therapy. I always knew that I wanted to work in the healthcare field because the human body is very fascinating to me, but it wasn’t until that first surgery/PT rehab that I had my mind set on becoming a physical therapist. I thought I wanted to work outpatient orthopedics with athletes, but in school, I helped with a program called Go Baby Go, which builds adaptive cars for kids who cannot necessarily get around without. I absolutely fell in love with kids that I got to work with so I wanted to try out pediatric physical therapy. I ended up coming to Heartspring on a clinical rotation while in my 3rd year of PT school, and I immediately knew that it was the perfect fit for me. -Erin Bullinger, Heartspring physical therapist
We are incredibly grateful that Cheryl, Jesica, and Erin's paths led them to Heartspring! Thanks to them, many children and families continue to discover their own paths towards fulfilling, empowering lives.
