I am the guardian and power-of-attorney for an intellectually disabled person who recently suffered a stroke and had to be hospitalized for over ten days. Because of my family member's conditions, his behavior has been erratic. For a period of time, he would throw items, babble incessantly, and act in a generally uncooperative manner. In short, he was a very difficult patient.
I live out of the area and when I first arrived at Obici, I met Tonia and was immediately put at ease. No matter the situation with my family member, she treated him with professionalism and respect. That treatment in and of itself would warrant this letter, but what made Tonia's service so remarkable was the extra care she showed him. She found out where my family member was from and asked him about that area in an effort to calm him down. No matter the insults he was shouting at her, she responded with a smile, constantly assuring him that he would be okay and that he was safe. The care was nothing short of extraordinary.
While I am not in health care, I can only assume that Tonia is the epitome of an excellent nurse. After seeing the care she provided, I along with my family members, left Obici thinking that if we ever needed to be hospitalized, we hoped we would only be so lucky as to be admitted to Sentara Obici Hospital and placed under Tonia's care.