Patient stories: Tom Antonik went from a feeding tube in the ICU to cycling beside his son. This is his story.

Tom Antonik, married for almost half a century and with three children and two grandchildren, has lived in Greenville for 11 years and been an enthusiastic cyclist since his earliest memories.

“I remember that first time being on a bike, my father following behind me, holding on to the saddle and then letting it go. It was independence. That freedom you get is like being able to go somewhere at any time. I was cycling up until the day I had my injury about 6 years ago,” said Antonik.

He was at home when it happened. Like so many of us, he simply fell, but landed in a way that caused a serious spinal cord injury in his neck.

“When I hit the ground, I knew that this was life-changing,” Antonik said. “I couldn’t move any of my limbs.”

He spent time in intensive care before moving into another room at Greenville Memorial Hospital. Tom was hospitalized at the height of COVID, which meant his family was unable to visit for some time. Over the course of weeks, he went from relying on a feeding tube and relearning how to talk to finally moving to Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital to begin physical therapy with occupational therapist Amanda Maddrey.

“Tom is one of the most resilient and determined people that I’ve worked with,” said Maddrey. “I really got to know him well during that time. Then, I didn’t see him for four or five years.”

With a goal of returning to the same quality of life he had before his accident, Tom moved from inpatient rehab to home health, outpatient therapy, drivers’ rehab and finally, in 2024, Amanda Maddrey and Tom Antonik met once again at a support group for survivors of spinal cord injuries.

The man that Maddrey had last seen reliant on a wheelchair was now standing and walking on his own two feet. In fact, Tom Antoniko was rediscovering the ability to pursue his favorite hobby once again. He was relearning how to ride a bike.

“It’s a piece of independence, gaining something back that you thought you had lost,” said Antoniko. “Today, I ride with my son, who loves cycling as much as I do. It makes you feel better, being able to do things that you weren’t able to do two weeks ago, a week ago or yesterday. I would not be doing the things I am doing today without my time at Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital.”

The care that Tom Antoniko received goes above and beyond simply surviving his spinal injury. His care team worked alongside him, just as dedicated to helping him recover the skills he had lost.

At Prisma Health, we’re not just here to heal, we’re here for good.