They say, “Nothing worthwhile ever happens quickly and easily.” It’s bound to face resistance. It may not be pleasant. It may even require the help of a stranger. But for those who see it through, the cost rarely outweighs the reward.
At just 21 years old, a tragic car accident would paralyze Sheila Cannon from the waist down. For years she remained almost entirely independent with only an occasional need for help with activities that required reaching up high, such as grocery shopping. But by January of 2013, Sheila began to realize that her body was declining more rapidly than ever before. Soon after, she became a resident of Gateway Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Lenoir, North Carolina, where the nursing staff could assist her movement and provide the necessary attention to her wounds. In spite of the physical improvements she was making as part of her rehabilitation, Sheila was bedridden, preferred to keep to herself, and was slipping closer to a depressive state.
One day as Sheila watched television, she recalls a staff member coming into her room to evaluate her for the “activities” division of rehabilitation – something she distinctly remembers having no interest in despite the woman’s best efforts to encourage her to join. The staff member’s name was Chante and she would try many more times to convince Sheila to join these activities though Sheila continued to resist, “I still could not imagine I would be able to do anything they would possibly need me for.”
One dreary day Sheila decided to venture outside of her room. She found herself in the activity room, Chante’s room, where she witnessed the woman who had visited her so many times leading a small but bustling and cheerful group of residents. After several more visits, Sheila noticed many activities she could participate in. She was reminded of her mother’s passion for floristry and naturally drawn to participate. Chante noticed Sheila’s passion for flower arrangement and brought a beautiful assortment of fall flowers to her room. Before she knew it she was cutting stems and forming arrangements that would be placed throughout the building.
Sheila watched in awe as Chante molded many other residents into productive helpers, never pushing, and always patient and loving to those with personalities that were coarse and cold. “Somehow, she remained calm and found a way around their calamities,” she said. Chante’s impact at Gateway is best summed up in Sheila’s own words:
“Chante’s presence makes Gateway a better place to live and she has been employed in numerous departments for over 20 years. For those of us who have not been able to return back home and reside here her activities brighten and make our lives a little more whole. As each day passes we know she will always be there to hear our problems and help us work through them. I cannot imagine a Gateway without her singing and jokes and numerous talents, but most of all her genuine love for all.”
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