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A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at Grace Cottage’s new Eastwood Outpatient Rehabilitation Services Building at 133 Grafton Road in Townshend on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024.

 Kristopher Radder Brattleboro Reformer
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A ribbon cutting ceremony at Grace Cottage’s new Eastwood Outpatient Rehabilitation Services Building at 133 Grafton Road in Townshend on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024.

TOWNSHEND — About two decades ago, the 15-year-old son of Sue and John Eastwood had a serious ATV accident that resulted in serious injuries to his left hand. In fact, he was told by some doctors he might never regain full use of the hand.

"Crystal [Mansfield] worked with him a good year-and-a-half," said Sue Eastwood, during a ribbon cutting at the John and Sue Eastwood Outpatient Rehabilitation Services in the Heins Building at Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend. "Let me tell you, she performed a miracle."

Their son, Charlie, is now a 32-year-old mechanical engineer living in Rochester, N.Y., who has full use of that hand that was damaged while he was still attending Leland and Gray Union High School.

PHOTOS: Ribbon cutting at Grace Cottage

A ribbon cutting ceremony at Grace Cottage’s new Eastwood Outpatient Rehabilitation Services Building at 133 Grafton Road in Townshend on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024.

Earlier this year, work began on the Heins Building, formerly a senior living facility, to convert it into an outpatient rehab clinic. The work was finished in November and on Wednesday, the public was invited to tour the new layout and meet the Eastwoods, who made a significant donation to help cover costs.

Mansfield, who has been with Grace Cottage for 20 years and is its director of rehabilitation, said she was touched by the kind words offered by Eastwood. She said it was wonderful working with their son.

"He's a beautiful young man and he was a lovely compliant patient," she said. "He worked really, really hard. He took it very seriously."

Mansfield also had a shout-out for her staff.

"This team is just unbelievable," she said. "I couldn't ask for better colleagues. Everybody really takes their job seriously and provides just exceptional care."

Olivia Sweetnam, who has been CEO of Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital since July, credited her predecessor, Doug DiVello with getting the gears turning on the expansion.

"We have had exponential growth in outpatient rehab," she said.

DiVello said the new clinic was a response to customer demand and Mansfield's vision for what could be offered there.

The new facility has space for its 17 therapists who, together, have about 300 years of experience, said Andrea Seaton, executive director of the Grace Cottage Foundation.

Sweetnam thanked the rehab team for their patience and their commitment to their jobs, and to the hospital's maintenance, purchasing and IT staff for all their assistance, too.

John Eastwood himself has been a patient in the clinic. He lives with arthritis and needed some therapy on a knee that was giving him trouble.

"I do my exercises every morning," he said.

Sue Eastwood also thanked her parents, who encouraged her, and her two siblings, to give back to her community.

Charles and Jean August were well-known in the Rochester community. He was the founder of Monro Muffler and a philanthropist.

Bob Audette can be contacted at raudette@reformer.com.

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