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Lisa Calasant, PT, hugs Banjo the mascot during visit

Two months after his admission to Beaufort Memorial Hospital (BMH) for a hip fracture, retired Marine Mike Filowiak made a surprise visit to the Acute Rehabilitation Unit (ARU) Feb. 8, bearing cake, gifts and a whole lot of gratitude for the team that got him back on his feet.

Donning an elephant costume – he’s also known as ‘Banjo,’ a volunteer mascot for the Hampton County Republican Party – and intent on making sure he thanked each person who cared for him, Filowiak waited patiently in a small conference room while staff gathered to greet him.

“From the moment I arrived I was treated with so much love and care,” recalled the 73-year-old Hampton resident, who slipped in his home in December 2023 and spent four days in a Savannah, Georgia, hospital before being transferred to BMH for inpatient rehabilitation.

Surrounded by his favorite caregivers and members of the hospital’s leadership team, he stood for pictures before swapping his elephant head for a “Be Kind” hat and sharing his recovery story with the group.

Banjo, an elephant macot, poses with BMH staff

When Filowiak was admitted to the unit, it had just been fully renovated. He remembered arriving just in time to be the first patient admitted to a brand new room.

“I was so grateful to be at BMH and the new room was really nice, but it was the staff that really impressed me,” he said. “Every single one of them went above and beyond. Even when they were busy, busy, busy they would stop what they were doing to help me.”

Filowiak did not know how he would heal from the fracture, and walking seemed almost impossible to fathom. But, a week after his arrival he shot hoops in the therapy gym with his physical therapist, Matt D’Antonio, PT, before resuming his daily rehab regimen.

“Up until that point I had done most of my exercises in the wheelchair or on a mat,” he said. “So I really wasn’t sure I could do it.”

Before he knew it, Filowiak was walking daily with an assistive device and preparing to go home.

“You have to listen to the people who are helping you, and you have to follow their instructions completely,” he said of his recovery.

Sierra Daniels poses with Mike Filowiak

For him, that meant starting with small, micro movements to improve his flexibility and strengthen his hip as it healed before working his way up to walking short distances and performing weight-bearing exercises to improve his balance.

As a token of his appreciation, Filowiak passed out thoughtful, handpicked cards and gifts, addressing each staff member with an anecdote about their impact on him during his stay.

Sierra Daniels, a certified occupational therapy assistant from Hampton, was recognized for picking up a walker and a tray for Filowiak on her own time so that he would have the equipment he needed to go home.

Anna Booth, a nurse who works the inpatient rehab unit, joined the celebration on her day off and smiled tearfully as he acknowledged how much love she showed him during every encounter, big and small.

Finally, he thanked the housekeepers and the food services team, the latter whom he credited for packing on 10 extra pounds during his 16-day stay.

Banjo the mascot stands behind a table with gifts

“The people who work at BMH don’t always get the recognition they deserve,” he said. “They work long hours and have lives of their own, but they make sure their patients are the No. 1 priority.”

As for his priorities, Filowiak says he plans to continue his therapy at home so he can regain his strength and get back to one of his favorite pastimes: gardening.

“If it wasn’t for the physical therapists at BMH I would not be standing here today,” he said. “That’s why I had to come back and show them my appreciation.”