THC's Saul transforming lives as occupational therapist

As an occupational therapist, Jennifer Saul has seen a lot in her almost 28-year career at Texas Health Resources, but there’s one particular patient that she will always remember.

Saul is one of 6,000 certified hand therapists in the United States and she practices right out of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne. She also serves as the Rehabilitation Department Supervisor.

“It truly is an honor to have that designation,” Saul said. “When you have a hand injury, hand surgeons want to work with a CHT and we we love being able to specialize in that and being able to connect with patients for that so awesome.”

Saul said she works with a dynamic team at THC.

“It is a privilege working for Texas Health Cleburne in the fact that I can see my patients one-on-one,” she said. “Anybody that’s had to have therapy probably knows that they’re in a clinic with a lot of different other therapists. Sometimes you’re not seeing just that therapist only and you’re seeing a multitude of clinicians and you’re kind of tossed around.

“It is a privilege I recognize that is not industry standard, that I get to work with my patients one-on-one. I am the only one that gets to work with them, as well as our team. We are the ones that sit right here with the patients and so I think that is a true blessing. Because that is definitely not the industry standard.”

Hand injuries are much more severe than most people realize, Saul said.

“I think a lot of people — unless you’ve truly experienced a hand injury — I think it is highly misunderstood, feeling undervalued and minimized as to the impact it has on a person’s life until they start to experience it,” Saul said. “Everybody thinks so just squeeze the ball and we’ll be better in a minute.”

In one case particular, Saul saw an incredible recovery journey.

Brittany Braswell was involved in an ATV accident in January 2021 that caused severe damage to her arm and she suffered a traumatic brain injury concussion.

Braswell said she doesn’t remember anything that happened after the accident. She was airlifted to Waco and spent four days in the ICU.

“Doctors told my mom and dad that they weren’t sure if I was ever going to have the use of my hand,” Braswell said. “And that was their only goal, at that time during surgery, was to try to save my hand and did not know what to expect.”

She has two plates and screws on her right wrist, which is her dominant hand.

The accident left her unable to work for over two months — she was a legal secretary — and was unable to use her arm very well in the beginning.

“Nobody could look at me my hand,” because she was in so much pain, Braswell said. “Nobody can touch my hand except the doctor.”

When someone recommended she visit Saul, Braswell said she felt an immediate connection with her.

“She made me laugh and made me feel comfortable,” she said. “She helped me get more movement out of my hand and range of motion. She absolutely went above and beyond.”

In addition to helping Braswell through therapy, Saul also helped with the personal aspect of recovery.

“She was just struggling emotionally with a lot,” Saul said. “Not being able to do her job, not being able to care for herself, having her parents come into her home to help her. You learn very quickly as to what you’re not able to do and all of that is taken away.”

Braswell said she was depressed and saw no hope, but that Saul gave her that hope back.

“I knew she believed in me,” she said. “And every time I was like, ‘I can’t do that. I can’t do that.’ She was like, ‘Don’t you say that Brittany. You can do it. Come on, come on.’

Saul said getting to work with patients like Braswell is her favorite thing about being an occupational therapist.

“Seeing her reap the rewards of her hard work and our partnership together,” she said. “It’s certainly not you come here and you just do things. It is really, I need you to go home and try to do this and then she did and she’s like, this didn’t work. We strategize together and I think that’s my favorite part of my job is when you get to partner with other people and then you get to see them just blossom from it. Because it’s their hard work because it’s only see for a very short amount of time. So what you’re doing outside of the clinic is everything.”

Braswell said she never would have recovered the way she did — both physically and emotionally — if not for Saul’s hard work.

“I know she’s so dedicated to her profession,” Braswell said. “She’s so dedicated to the patient care and just with everything — her expertise, her words, encouragement, whatever it may be — she made my recovery a million times better. I can just tell you, anybody who meets her and goes through physical therapy will feel the same way. and I guarantee that no doubt about it. No doubt.”