BRICK – A Brick Township native is sharing his story on how kindness saved his life while fighting a rare neurological disorder.
Keith Rella was living a normal life as a husband and father when he suddenly began to experience arm weakness. On April 2, 2024, Keith went to Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank and was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. GBS is a rare neurological disorder where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves.
Within just a few days the condition had progressed rapidly, as Keith lost the ability to use his arms and legs. Despite the early detection, it spread into Keith’s respiratory system and eventually his brain.
Keith Rella (with green cape) was joined by his family at the Township’s Hero Awards. (Photo courtesy Keith Rella)
As a result, Keith was unable to breathe on his own and had to be transferred to the Neuro ICU at JFK Medical Center in Edison where he was intubated and placed on a ventilator. Due to not being able to swallow, he was also placed on a feeding tube.
Treatment consisted of several rounds of plasmapheresis, plasma exchanges to remove antibodies that attack the peripheral nerves, as well as immunoglobulin therapy, where healthy antibodies are given through the vein and block the damaging antibodies that contribute to GBS.
For many months, these treatments did not show positive results. Keith eventually regained the ability to move his head and speak, and was transferred to Kessler Rehabilitation Center in East Orange to undergo intensive therapy with the hopes to swallow, breathe, and move again.
GBS continued to attack Keith’s brain and he was transferred to the ICU at Saint Barnabas in Livingston, where he spent several months.
For a period of time he was unable to speak. Since he had very little ability to move, his only form of communication was by blinking his eyes, Keith said.
Keith Rella at Kessler Rehabilitation Hospital with his three therapists who he calls his angels. (Photo courtesy Keith Rella)
“It felt like a nightmare,” he said. “I was paralyzed completely, other than some parts of my face, for six months. Four of those months I required a respirator to breathe and I required a feeding tube to eat. And for two of those months, I was unable to speak.”
“It felt like I was living some kind of horrible, horrible dream. I was trapped inside of my own body,” he added.
Keith eventually became stabilized enough to start a regiment of rituximab, where he finally began seeing improvement. He returned to Kessler Rehabilitation in East Orange in late summer and worked diligently to regain his mobility.
On October 30, 2024, Keith was finally able to return home to his family and friends.
Keith has worked for Brick Township for 12 years, serving in the Public Information Department as well as a secretary for the Environmental Commission. He’s a lifelong resident, born and raised in Brick.
One year later since his diagnoses of GBS, Keith reflects on his journey and how “kindness saved his life.”
“I always had this overwhelming sense of gratitude because, despite how bad things got, there was also a constant drumbeat of how fortunate I am and how blessed I am. From the moment my body started to fail me, I had a constant presence of family. I have a wonderful family, both immediate, nuclear, and extended,” Keith said. “I have a group of lifelong friends. They were at my side and more importantly at my family’s side, which gave me comfort and allowed me to focus on the task at hand. Beyond that, I am very fortunate.”
“I’ve always tried to live my life in a way that I put kindness first. I treat others with respect. I always try to take the high road. Having lived my life that way, it built up this capital that was there when I needed it most. I was very lucky because, you know, we all go through hardships in life. It’s part of life. And if you’re lucky, you have that reserve available to you to tap into when you need it,” he said.
Keith noted that despite the situation, he’s now made lifelong friends throughout this journey.
Keith Rella (rear, center) alongside staff from Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank. (Photo courtesy Keith Rella)
“It is very easy to feel sorry for yourself and to go down a path of ‘why me’ or go down a path of anger and frustration. While I certainly had those moments, I realized that if I stayed true to who I had always been, that it would afford me a better quality of care. When you conduct yourself in a way that treats those individuals with respect and with kindness and with gratitude it really improves everything about the treatment you receive,” Keith said.
“My neurologist has become my friend. The three therapists who I had when I was at Kessler Rehabilitation hospital, my occupational therapist, my physical therapist, and my speech therapist, are all now lifelong friends of mine and they will be forever,” he said. “That is a blessing that has come out of this horrendous situation that may not be there, might not have been there if it wasn’t for how I conducted myself and how I treated people.”
GBS can affect all age groups. The exact cause is not known and there’s no known cure. Most people recover completely from GBS but the illness can be fatal. For some, recovery could take several years as some people could have lasting effects from the disorder. Keith has recovered but is still working on his balance and stability – things like climbing stairs is still a challenge for him. He hopes to bring awareness around rare neurological disorders like GBS.
“Everything I’ve been through – it happened for a reason. As far as I can tell the reason is to share my story both to help educate people about Guillain-Barre syndrome and then also hopefully to motivate people to realize the value of making kindness central to your life,” Keith said. “If one person reads this story and it helps to prevent or educate them in a way that that they don’t have to go through the trauma that my family and I did, then it was worth it for me.”
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