Doctor-turned-patient joins fight to reopen Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital pool

Four years ago, Dr. Rob Agostinis went from treating patients to being one himself.

The Edmonton internist suddenly found his life turned upside down, after a rare neurological condition left him frozen and fighting to breathe.

He went from being healthy and active to completely paralyzed within days.

Diagnosed with anti-neurofascin syndrome, an extremely rare autoimmune disorder, he lost the ability to speak, breathe, and move on his own.

“I was paralyzed basically from the lower jaw down,” Agostinis said.

At the time, he was told he was only the 17th documented case in the world.

The illness struck when Agostinis was in Kelowna, where he was put into a medically induced coma and transported back home to the University of Alberta Hospital.

2:57 Alberta doctor becomes a rare disease patient, shares lessons he learned in hospital

Now, four years into recovery, the 65-year-old is sharing how specialized rehabilitation — including aquatic therapy at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital — helped him regain strength and hope.

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“I walked into the water, and it just hugged me so much,” Agostinis said. “It just relaxed all my muscles. And all of a sudden, I could move muscles that I thought I couldn’t move anymore.”

Operating since 1966, patients and clinicians say the pool is essential for recovery.

Prior to the closure, Alberta Health Services said there were 500 to 700 patient treatments in the Glenrose pool each month — a mix of pediatric, adult and geriatric inpatients and outpatients.

Due to the age of the pool, ongoing efforts over the years to maintain the aging infrastructure of the pool required routine closures and extensive costly repairs.

In November 2024, AHS said the pool was temporarily closed to install a new patient lift.

But during that installation, serious issues were uncovered. AHS said substantial repair needs were discovered and risks associated with keeping the pool open, including the risk of leaks in other areas of the hospital, were revealed.

The pool has been closed ever since. In January, the Alberta government committed $3.25 million to help reopen it but more money needs to be fundraised to make the necessary repairs.

As Quinn Ohler reports in the video at the top of this story, Agostinis is advocating for the pool’s return.

2:10 Provincial funding moves Glenrose rehab pool closer to reopening