The Bionic Man
After losing half his right arm in an electrical accident, 23-year-old Christian Arreola faced a daunting road of recovery and rehabilitation. Thankfully, with the help of a devoted occupational therapist in Dr. Jennie McGillicuddy, Christian was outfitted with a state-of-the-art bionic arm that now allows him all but full mobility. Together, Christian nd Jennie illlustrate the importance of social and medical support in navigating life’s most scarring events, and how any struggle can be overcome when tackled with resilience.
[00:00:00] Stephen Calabria: From the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City. This is Road to Resilience, a podcast about facing adversity. I'm your host, Stephen Calabria, Mount Sinai's director of podcasting.
[00:00:10] On this episode, we welcome two special guests, starting with Christian Areola. Based in Southern California, Christian suffered a debilitating accident in 2022 that required the amputation of his right arm below the elbow.
[00:00:23] Christian's story may have been a tragic one, but he also had good luck and excellent medical care. One of the most notable folks in his treatment journey is Jennie McGillicuddy, an Occupational Therapist at the UC San Diego Health Department of Rehabilitation and Regional Burn Center.
[00:00:38] It was with Jenny's help, and treatment through a total of 20 surgeries, that Christian bounced back from such an unimaginable trauma. Together, Christian and Jennie illustrate the importance of social and medical support in navigating life's most scarring events, and how any struggle can be overcome when tackled with resilience.
[00:00:57] We're honored to have Christian Areola and Jenny McGillicuddy on the show.
[00:01:02] Christian Arreola: My name is Christian, Christian Arreola. I am 26 years old. I am completing my bachelor's at Chico state university. I work as a data analyst. I'm a ability hand user. I've had it for a couple of years. I worked with UCSD from the beginning from since to the 2022, I believe.
[00:01:24] I'm from San Diego. I still live in San Diego. Not planning to go anywhere. I love the weather here. I love the. So everyone, and yeah, so that's a little bit about me.
[00:01:36] Jennie McGillicuddy: Hi, I'm Jenny, Jenny McGillicuddy. I'm an occupational therapist with UC San Diego Health Rehab and the Regional Burn Center here in San Diego. I'm a burn clinical specialist and I'm a specialist with the limb loss population and I've been with UCSD since 2007.