Gratitude and Healing:
A Story of Compassionate Care
Norma & husband Rodney in the hospital.
Norma Jeanne Smith was diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer in 2018 and went through two years of treatment, including chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, which helped her go into remission for two years. When her cancer came back in 2022, Norma started an experimental cancer treatment at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and was making good progress until she developed Guillain-Barré syndrome, which unfortunately affects 3% of the people who undergo this specific course of treatment.
The left side of Norma’s face and body were paralyzed and she couldn’t move or speak. She was hospitalized for 83 days and developed significant complications, including losing 26 pounds and most of the muscle mass in her legs. When Norma was able to go home with care from Community Nursing Services (CNS), she could barely move. She couldn’t sit up on her own and her supportive husband, Rodney had to do nearly everything for her.
CNS Physical Therapist, Burke Maughan, changed Norma’s life with his encouraging and motivating attitude. He provided home care to her in the comfort of her home in Mountain Green twice a week for five months and helped her regain the ability to walk. "Burke was so encouraging and would always cheer me on during his visits." "Come on, Norma! You can do this!"
In May, Norma could barely speak and didn’t have access to speech therapy at home. Burke saw her need for support and advocated for her to get care from a specialized therapist who primarily works in the Salt Lake area.
Norma’s first smile!
“Kayla doesn’t normally come to my area, but Burke made the arrangements so she could come see me and help me learn how to speak again. She was a wonderful help. She helped me strengthen my face muscles and gave me speech therapy exercises so I could learn to talk clearly again. I went from only being able to say a few things to being able to speak with clarity.”
In early August, Burke was helping Norma learn how to transfer from her wheelchair to her bed on her own, and Norma was overcome with the feeling that she needed to try walking instead. When she shared this feeling with Burke, he said they could try walking in a few weeks once she had a bit more strength, but Norma insisted they try at that moment.
“Burke put a lifting belt under my arms and helped me walk for the first time in five months. He was so encouraging as I wept from the joy and pain of walking again. He said he was simply amazed by my determination. But, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him.”
Norma walking for the first time in months with Burke's assistance.
In September, Norma contracted parainfluenza and was hospitalized again. Once she was home and on the road to recovery, she was discouraged to learn that she couldn’t do as much as she could before. Burke helped her maintain a positive attitude and gave her permission to let her body rest and recover.
Norma shares the pep-talk Burke gave her during this time, “If you have a few days that are hard, it is ok! It is just a small bump in the road and you’ll get better. If you are tired, listen to your body because it needs time to heal.”
Burke gave Norma hope that there would be better days ahead. “Burke gave me courage to keep trying. He is an incredible human being with the best sense of humor. He knows exactly how to get me laughing and I always look forward to his physical therapy visits. I would get up and try extra hard, just for Burke. I excelled so much with his help and support. I almost died twice last year and I am so happy to be alive. I didn’t know if I would ever walk again and he gave me hope. I am so grateful.”
Norma’s heart is filled with gratitude after this past year of hospitalizations and challenges.
“I am so grateful for my whole community who wrapped their arms around me and my family during this past year. My church, my community, my friends, my husband and daughter, and everyone at CNS who helped me recover, including my nurse Allisha, Gerald (Occupational Therapist), Roseann (Occupational Therapy Assistant), Val (Physical Therapist) and Kayla (Speech Therapist).”
“This was a very big journey in our lives and I appreciate everything more deeply now. I feel like this is a very important story to tell. It was life changing for me and has given me a new reason to get up every morning and be grateful to be alive.”
Norma shoveling snow, just weeks before her illness.
Norma & her beautiful family.