On February 24, 2020, things were looking up for Cindy Blaha. She was finishing her last chemotherapy treatment for B-Cell Lymphoma and she and her son-in-law were getting lunch to celebrate. While they were out, she injured her ankle. Confident all was fine, Cindy had her son-in-law drive her home.

As the pain and swelling increased, Cindy went to the hospital. Doctors told her that her ankle was broken, but surgery would have to wait until the swelling subsided. On March 12, her surgical repair was complete; however, she could not put any weight on the ankle until it healed.

Cindy knew she needed intense rehabilitation to navigate daily life unable to put weight on her ankle, but she was uneasy to extend her hospitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cindy chose to return home after surgery, but soon realized that it wasn’t sustainable, even with the support of her daughters, as she had lost strength during her time in the hospital.

On March 27, Cindy arrived at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Petersburg. Eager to get back home, Cindy was motivated from the beginning, and said encouragement from hospital staff made all the difference in her recovery.

Breon, a cook, noticed Cindy was returning her meal trays with a lot of food left on them, and asked how he could improve them for her. He truly listened to her, she said, and began making meals that better suited her preferences.

Dre, a rehabilitation nursing tech, was one of Cyndi’s high school students and was exceptionally invested in her recovery. Even when he wasn’t assigned to her care, he stopped in to check on her.

On April 7, Cindy graduated from rehabilitation. She attributes her success to the staff and their expertise, as well as their encouragement and determination that she would get better.

As a thank you to our team, Cindy gifted plants to our hospital for our horticulture therapy program.