One of the most valuable things Virginia “Ginny” Withers has is her independence. And thanks to donors, she still has it.

Late last year, Ginny suffered a fall as she was getting into bed. Her phone was on a charger out of reach, so she could do nothing but wait until someone stopped by to help—10 hours later.

Luckily, Ginny has family nearby who check on her regularly. They were able to get her to Mercy Health — Marcum and Wallace Hospital for stabilization to prepare for surgery and repair of a broken hip. Because of donations, she was able to stay at the hospital for 17 days in the swing bed unit for her therapy and recovery.

Swing beds are how hospitals transition patients from acute care to skilled nursing or rehab. In Ginny’s case, she had to relearn how to do things so she could go home.

“I could hardly do anything,” says Ginny. “The staff there was wonderful. They helped me learn to get in and out of bed, take a shower and even how to put on my socks with my injury. It was so much easier to do that at the hospital rather than having to travel back and forth.”

Even though she still goes to physical therapy, Virginia appreciates that she has been able to get back to her life of independence with driving, shopping and caring for her home.

“The swing bed stay was awesome,” she says. “It made a big difference in my recovery.”