opioids. “She’s a young, healthy girl – the last thing we need to do is expose her to all these narcotics,” Dr. Jones said. “If we can control her pain so she can get up and do rehab without exposing her, that’s what we need to do.” Meanwhile, Omedeo kept Haley’s spirts up with humor and kindness. “We had Joey doing pushups on the floor to make me laugh;” she said. “He came in and apologized because the day they got me out of bed the first time was his day off, and he wasn’t there to help.” “Haley’s Dream Team” never made them feel like patients. They made them feel like family. “You weren’t just doing a job. You laughed with us. You cared about us. You were her team,” Casey told Omedeo and Dr. Jones after she and Haley visited to say thank you. Haley added, “You were more than a doctor and nurse. It wasn’t just coming in and taking my vitals and giving me medicine. You don’t realize how much that means to people.” “Haley’s Dream Team” says her experience means just as much to them. “You had the choice to build yourself up and build up those around you,” Omedeo said. “You saw that you can do it and you did it, and that’s so uplifting.” Dr. Jones added, “You had more than enough opportunity to give up or choose a bad course. You could let this ruin your life or you could learn what strong is. The direction you went, you picked it. It’s you who had to get up, get back on your feet and live your life again.” Haley admits wondering if she’d be able to do that but then realizing she had no other choice. And today, she is more than living her live – she’s been inspired to lead a life of helping others: “I’m going back to school,” she said. “I decided I want to be a nurse!” Haley was fitted with a brace after her accident left her with multiple compression fractures in her spine. To read more about Haley’s Dream Team, head to regionalonehealthfoundation.org/dreamteam.mp4 regionalonehealth.org/foundation/change-a-life-donate-today/ 35
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