Gaylord Specialty Healthcare News

A Breath of Fresh Air

Written by Gaylord | June 20, 2025

Terry Halladay vividly remembers the beautiful spring day his wife, Laura, first wheeled him into Gaylord Hospital’s Japanese Garden. After spending two months inside hospitals, the outdoors was a welcome feast for Terry’s senses.

“The garden had been freshly mulched and watered, and the most amazing scent of cedar chips and flowers filled the air,” he recalls.

For Terry, an antiquarian book dealer who spent over four decades traveling the world in search of rare literary treasures, the experience was a transformative part of his recovery from a life-threatening illness.

“It was quite literally a breath of fresh air. What a way to re-enter the world!” 

The battle of his life

In March 2017, after a month of travel and while working a week-long trade show in Manhattan, Terry began feeling run-down. As his condition rapidly worsened, he and his wife decided to leave early and return home to Connecticut.

During the drive, he became confused and disoriented, repeatedly making wrong turns along a route he had traveled hundreds of times before. It was the last thing he remembered until he woke up nearly three weeks later in Yale New Haven’s ICU.

“I thought maybe we had been in an accident on our way back from New York,” he recalls.

Terry soon learned that he had been fighting a life-threatening case of pneumonia caused by a rare, drug-resistant superbug. With her husband finally stable, Laura knew his recovery would be an uphill battle that would require the specialized expertise of Gaylord Hospital.

“It was a place we heard wonderful things about but never imagined needing,” Laura and Terry reflect.

A higher standard of care

Terry arrived at Gaylord Hospital 40 pounds lighter, too weak to walk or sit independently, and unable to swallow or speak – a complication from the ventilator that saved his life.

During his three-week inpatient stay, he received intensive speech, physical, occupational, and aquatic therapies. He remembers how Burt, a physical therapy aide, pushed him to work hard.

“Even after our scheduled sessions, Burt would stop by my room to do extra exercises with me,” Terry recalls.

“And while it was difficult at the time to thank all of them, every therapist, nurse, and doctor I encountered here made an incredible difference. They were all dedicated to helping me rebuild my strength and regain my independence. And for that, I am profoundly grateful.”

Each day brought a new milestone for Terry as he progressed from standing to taking his first steps to conquering stairs.

“By the time I was discharged, I walked out of Gaylord under my own steam. For weeks after, outpatient therapy furthered my progress and recovery.”

“You are the reason.”

Terry and Laura have since become monthly donors to Gaylord Hospital.

For the couple, giving to Gaylord is more than an expression of gratitude; it’s about making sure others have the same chance to reclaim their lives.

“We understand how critical it is for patients to be able to access the right tools and the best care for their recoveries … and how stressful it can be to manage the financial strain that a healthcare crisis brings,” Terry reflects.

The couple is especially committed to supporting new technologies and projects that enhance the hospital’s healing environment, including the development of on-campus gardens for patients and families.

“Being able to go outdoors and feel the sun on my face during my hospitalization was such an important part of my recovery,” he explains. “I felt human again. It’s so important for people facing similar situations to have that opportunity as well.”

Looking back, Terry acknowledges that Gaylord made all the difference in his recovery journey.

“You are the reason. I always say that the acute care saved my life, but Gaylord returned to me a wonderful quality of life.”