Long road to recovery for Lakewood officer

Paige Novasky peered through the window of South Hill Physical Therapy on Monday, waiting for the first sign of her husband and hero.

Lakewood police officer Scott Novasky was minutes away. His wife, physical therapist and others waited to surprise him with a “graduation” party.

Scott Novasky’s world turned upside down May 27, 2009, when his duty motorcycle struck a car as he pursued a driver on Steilacoom Boulevard Southwest. Although he was conscious when help arrived — he even radioed his injuries to the dispatcher — his injuries could have taken his life. The driver of the car suffered minor cuts and was treated at the scene.

Novasky, 43, remembers the pain and snippets of the ambulance ride before he blacked out. He awoke six days later in a bed at Tacoma General Hospital, with little memory and no idea of the grueling road to recovery ahead.

Novasky, who has worked for Lakewood police since the department was formed in 2004, suffered multiple injuries when he was thrown from his motorcycle. He required two plates in his arm and one in his pelvis, screws in his spine and a prosthetic elbow. He also suffered punctured lungs and seven broken ribs.

It’s no wonder, then, that he needed lots of physical therapy — 118 visits at South Hill, to be exact.

He completed his final session Friday, and his circle of supporters wanted to celebrate the milestone Monday.

Novasky must still complete a month with another therapist to get readjusted to performing work duties. If all goes as planned, he will be back to work by his birthday, Aug. 1.

“Looking at him, you’d never know he had been through all of this,” Paige Novasky said. “He has every intention of going back to work.”

Immediately after the collision, she was unsure if her husband would even survive. He went through four surgeries to repair his body.

After his release from the hospital, he was restricted to a bed at his Spanaway-area home. Paige and the couple’s four sons – Greg, Russ, Ryan and Tim, ranging in age from 15 to 22 – took care of him.

On Aug. 27, he made his first physical therapy visit. He was able to walk about 10 steps from his walker to a table.

“Initially, it was really difficult, not being able to do anything,” he said.

But Novasky made steady progress over the last 10 months, with the help of family, doctors and friends. They watched him go from re-learning how to grip a small ball to walking on a treadmill and shooting a gun.

Denis Beaulieu, Novasky’s physical therapist, said he attributes his patient’s recovery to more than repaired bones.

“His personal drive has gotten him through many of the challenges,” Beaulieu said. “The challenges are still there, but the state of mind is there, too.”

In October, Novasky and his wife attended a police officer’s ball in Vancouver, B.C. With the help of a walker, the two danced, and both had tears in their eyes.

In March, Novasky mowed his lawn for the first time. He can now play with his dog and drive his car.

Those activities might not seem like much, but they indicate he’s within reach of his goal to return to work. This time, he’ll use a patrol car instead of a motorcycle.

On Monday, the staff at South Hill Physical Therapy posted congratulatory banners and photos. They even brought him a graduation gown and cap, which had belonged to one of his sons.

Of course, because they were dealing with a cop, they supplied plenty of donuts. Novasky took the joke in stride.

“I can honestly say I got where I am because of you guys today,” he said.

Brent Champaco: 253-597-8653
brent.champaco@thenewstribune.com