Arrival at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Vineland, NJ
|
|
Arrival at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Vineland, NJ
|
|
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
  |
  |
  |
 What
a wonderful arrival at the HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Vineland,
where we were met at the end of a red carpet by Tammy Feuer, CEO, Lesley
Jones, DMO, and staff. From start to finish the event was a class act,
despite the threat of rain and a minor patient rebellion. It seems the
efforts of the travelling circus, known as Amputees Across America, to
organize the First Annual AAA Patient Invitational Fishing Field Trip was
met with an enthusiastic patient response, but somewhat lukewarm response by
the therapeutic staff and some nurse named Duckett. Evidently, they
didn't feel that drinking beer and fishing could be accommodated into their
therapeutic plan. But once the patient riots were suppressed, the
arrival ceremony went smoothly. It was with some misgivings that we
were allowed into the Physical Therapy gymnasium but it was the highlight of
our visit to spend all morning with the Vineland patients and to interact
with the therapy staff. Tammy, you have a wonderful staff and we were
privileged to talk with your patients and to watch a talented, professional
team afford your patients the very best of loving care. Thank you for
putting up with our antics, hosting our visit, and making us feel so
completely at home. We hope to return in 2012 (in conjunction with the
Fourth Annual Invitation Fishing Tournament). Thank you again for all that
you have done to support us and for all that you do to get your patients
back to working, living, and playing. |
| Epilog to the eighth Amputees Across America trip across the United States |
 |
As we complete this eighth journey across the United States, traveling 3,500 miles, dragging baggage in and out of hotels over 57 times, visiting 30 rehabilitation hospitals, we have had so little time to catch our breath before we were off to the next stop. It is difficult to adequately sum up what we have experienced and to have a sense of what we have accomplished. We began our journey in Tustin, California filled with eager anticipation of the road ahead. With each passing day, we found the road becoming harder and harder and increasingly difficult to drag our bags out to the trailer and get on our bikes and travel to the next city or visitation. With each passing mile, and each crank of the pedal, we traveled to the cadence of "don't give up. don't ever give up." Our resolve... our determination were tempered and hardened in the crucible of a belief that what we were doing would make a difference in the lives of others. It had never occurred to us that so many would, instead, make a difference in our lives. With each patient that we visited, seeing the joy in their faces, welcoming the hug of gratitude for the time we spent talking with them, and never giving up despite horrendous obstacles of rehabilitation facing them, we were lifted in spirit and filled with admiration for their courage and determination. We invariably walked away with the feeling that the connection that each patient made with us, touched, changed, and inspired us in a fundamental way. To the patients we met, thank you. Thank you for the smile. Thank you for the hug. Thank you for all that you have done for us. Were it not for the Waynes, the Franks, the Kellys, the Pennys, the Paiges, the Ginnys, the Jans, and many, many more, we would not have completed this ride. And for the therapists, the angels of healing, who performed miracles every day, we can only express our gratitude for what you do. Your ability to shed tears with your patients, to smile and give words of encouragement, to rejoice in their victories over physical pain and disability, we can only say we love you for what you do. Your gift is precious so cherish it, polish it, and use it to leave the world a better place than before. It has been said, over and over that we are heroes. We are not heroes. We are just ordinary people who are doing the best we can to live life and try to give a little back to those who have given so much to us. Rather, the heroes are the patients who inspire us, the therapists who help define us and force us to face reality and to follow our dreams. The heroes are the patients who will face the pain of therapy and the encouragement of therapists and get back to living. A final thanks to HealthSouth and Lindsay Jones at Corporate, for believing in us and valuing what we do. Thank you to all of the facilities, who were so generous in their support and for suffering through our practical jokes and antics. We are ending our ride today with a growing excitement to return next year and continue this journey we started over eight years ago. If it were not for you, there would not be Amputees Across America.
|
|
|
