Epifania's Story
Three decades ago, Epifania Grimaldo, left Mexico to begin life in the United States. She and her husband found a home where she could tend her beloved garden as well as their 10 children, and over the years, more than 30 grandchildren.
The 67-year-old’s English remains limited, so she relies heavily on daughter Anna to act as a translator. It was a role that took on increasing importance when Epifania’s kidneys failed, requiring regular dialysis.
On one of her treatment days, Epifania began experiencing fever, vomiting and chills at home. She kept her appointment, but relayed she was ill. Clinic staffers immediately isolated Epifania, connected her to the machine and tested for COVID-19. Upon learning it was positive, staff called an ambulance to take her to the hospital.
Admitted directly to the local hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU), Epifania was connected to a mask supplying continuous air pressure and treated with intravenous antibiotics and steroids. She initially progressed but developed pneumonia and returned to the ICU. Shortly after, she went into respiratory failure and was sedated, connected to a ventilator and received breathing and feeding tubes.
There, Epifania’s memory grays out.
For the next month and a half, Epifania battled the virus’ affects. When she stabilized, her family researched options for the next step in care and chose Select Specialty Hospital - Jackson for its critical illness recovery outcomes and proximity to extended family.
A physician-led team, including nurses and therapists, created a plan for success.
Not long after arriving, Epifania awoke with no memory of what occurred. In an unfamiliar room, surrounded by masked strangers, she panicked. Staff tried to communicate using language boards and other options before reaching out to the hospital’s telephone interpreter service. Due to COVID-19 visitation restrictions, Anna was not able to be by her side to translate.
An interpreter was able to smooth the language barrier and offered encouragement and support, the first of many times they would play a vital role in Epifania’s recovery journey.
Her children played a critical role as well. On video calls assisted by hospital staff, they encouraged Epifania to blink, move fingers and toes and nod as a form of communication. She would respond as her care team observed to see what motivated her. It was a major turning point.
Continuing to progress, Epifania became more oriented and began to connect as her physical therapists began her mobility plan. Recovery picked up as she grew stronger each day. Before long, Epifania was ready to try sitting in bed, moving to a chair and standing with help.
Respiratory therapy worked alongside, stepping back ventilator settings and monitored bursts of time off the machine to test whether her lungs were ready to work on their own.
Progress was slow at times, and Epifania faced several setbacks. With each one, the care team and her family helped her rally to try again.
It took nearly a month, but she liberated from the ventilator. Recovery continued to pick up steam as speech therapists retrained swallowing reflexes and encouraged more normal speech using a valve inserted into the tracheostomy. The hospital monitored kidney function and provided dialysis.
When nurses checked in during medication and orientation rounds, they frequently found Epifania video chatting with her children and grandchildren, which always brought big smiles.
After passing a swallowing study, speech therapists also helped her regain swallowing reflexes. A dietitian worked with Epifania on a meal plan of increasingly thicker textures.
Physical therapists coached her through larger movements, such as standing and taking several steps. Over time, Epifania could use a rolling walker to move down the hallway and complete her self-care routine with minimal supervision.
After 84 days at Select Specialty Hospital – Jackson, Epifania joyfully returned home, ready to spend time with her beloved family and tend the garden.