Ripple Effect

Five years ago, Steven Bohman’s grandmother entered Madonna Manor for physical therapy. The 13-year-old had no idea that a ripple effect was set in motion that day, one that would lead him down a path to impact so many. 

Steven, now 18, is not an ordinary teenager. He has risen through the ranks of the Boy Scouts to join the elite 4 percent that achieve Eagle Scout status. Eagle Scout ranking culminates with a large community project, one that scouts contemplate for years. 

“After a lot of thought, I decided to help the therapy center at Madonna Manor. They were a part of my life for five years, and I was excited about helping the people that helped my grandma,” Steven says. 

Steven designed and installed a gait and balance course that sits just outside the therapy room on the lovely grounds of Madonna Manor. Gait and balance courses improve walking ability and help in fall prevention by providing an assortment of walking terrains. Steven’s course is a 15-foot by 10-foot platform with five 3-foot by 10-foot lanes paved with mulch, sand, decking, gravel and brick. 

The therapy center at Madonna Manor is a bright and sunny room abuzz with activity, chatter and a wide variety of therapies occurring every day. “Working with patients on different surfaces is very important to their recovery, which is why we are so grateful for Steven’s project,” says Cheri Miller, a therapist at Madonna Manor. “Often times we are a stepping stone in the transition from hospital to home, and when we send our patients home we know they’ll be OK.” 

As with any project, there were bumps in the road. However, the bump in this case turned into an additional element of the gait and balance course. Upon seeing the large pile of dirt dug to create the course, Nancy Phillips, Director of Madonna Manor, asked Steven to transform it into a walking mound to provide additional terrain during therapy. 

“It’s starting to sink in just how many people my project will help,” Steven says. “It’s something that I made, but it has become so much more than I imagined. The course belongs to Madonna Manor now, and they will use it for so much good, and it means a lot that I got to pay it forward.”

Peaceful and picturesque Madonna Manor is the leading Catholic senior living community in Northern Kentucky. It boasts a Five-Star Quality Rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and is situated on 28 acres overlooking the Ohio River. If you or a loved one is in need of short-term rehabilitation, experience the quality and community spirit of Madonna Manor.

Madonna Manor is located at 2344 Amsterdam Road, Villa Hills, KY 41017. For more information, call 859.426.6400 or visit www.madonnamanor.org.