Alevtyna is a strong woman who inspired confidence from the first encounter and at the same time, she was very generous with her time and gave me pointers on how to breathe better and do the range of motion exercises. I told Alevtyna that from this point on, ROM will be associated in my mind with her name because she made me see the importance of keeping myself moving and leading an active life. Many people have told me the same thing in the past but in the present circumstances, the message came from a very sweet, very caring, and sensitive person that seemed to make it a matter of personal pride.

At a moment when a patient is in a state of dejection and despair, to receive a hopeful message -- even one as simple as "you'll be fine, you will exercise and good things will happen" -- has a tremendous effect on our general outlook. I have been rotating my feet and arms, wiggling toes, and lifting my pelvis and actually feel better thanks to the warm, heartfelt, friendly banter of a good nurse. I will always remember my 48 hours at Kaweah Hospital with great fondness and gratefulness. The whole team of nurses and nurse's aids and specialists have been amazing. Alevtyna is the embodiment of care and humanness and I feel blessed that she was my nurse during this very stressful time. Thank you, Alevtyna!