Tempe, Arizona (NAPSI) - While keeping on top of family obligations and managing a busy work schedule can be stressful to some, you may be inspired by one man’s story that shows the healing powers of gratitude, even through a debilitating health crisis.

Aladin Abdelnaby was 54 years old when his arms and legs began feeling weak. Within two months, the father of three could barely lift himself out of his armchair.

Abdelnaby met with Vartan Tashjian, M.D., at KaiserPermanenteFontanaMedicalCenter, who assessed his condition and recommended spinal fusion surgery, where bone is taken from the back and fused to the bone in the neck.

Though Abdelnaby was nervous about undergoing major surgery, he was thankful for a solution. He was also comforted by the watchful eyes of his Kaiser Permanente care team, which stayed connected with him after the surgery through follow-up appointments and through My Health Manager, which allows Kaiser Permanente members to communicate with their doctors via secure e-mail.

Abdelnaby and his family were deeply grateful to Dr. Tashjian and the entire care team for helping to get him back on his feet. This sense of gratitude likely played a role in Abdelnaby’s journey back to health.

According to Jennifer Whaley, M.D., a psychiatrist with Kaiser Permanente in Georgia, feeling thankful has a direct impact on overall health. “Because the body and mind are so fundamentally linked, being physically healthy positively affects emotional health and vice versa,” she explained. “Expressing gratitude increases happiness and happiness increases overall health.”

Now fully recovered, Abdelnaby is happier and healthier. “I’m back to work full-time and I’m not tired anymore,” Abdelnaby explained. “I’m so happy with how it is now.”

To watch Abdelnaby tell his story, visit Kaiser Permanente’s Care Stories blog at www.kp.org/carestories.