I broke my leg and I’ve never felt so much pain. If anything, the pain got even worse after I had surgery to put the bones in my thigh back into place. I wondered if I’d ever be able to get around on my own. I got my answer at Slate Valley Center. I was admitted there for my rehab, and the team was great—welcoming me, making sure I was comfortable, and offering encouragement. The nurses and therapists worked together, easing my pain and working with me until I was walking again. In less than three weeks, I was back home and feeling stronger than ever.

It was really ironic: I tripped over my walker…and broke my leg! The hospital down in Albany put me back together, cutting out some ligaments, scraping out some arthritis, and inserting two rods in my ankle. After all that, I didn’t think I’d ever walk again. When the time came to leave, I met with this very nice young lady, a liaison for several local rehab facilities. She was on top of things, knew my case and knew exactly what I needed. But I also knew exactly what I wanted! I had been to Slate Valley Center before—they had taken care of my mom—and I loved them over there. I said if I don’t go to Slate Valley, I want to go home. The liaison did great work; she got me in. It was like a homecoming. Everyone was so friendly. And the therapists are so good! I went to school with one of them—his name is Richard. That’s one of the things I love about Slate Valley Center: it’s part of the community. The other thing I love is that they worked so hard to make sure I could walk again. I might have given up on myself, but they never gave up on me!

I had blockages in both legs and underwent several operations on my right leg, and had it amputated above the knee. I had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which also required surgery. I was in the ICU fighting for my life. My wife, Toni, spoke to the doctors. “I didn’t know if he was going to make it,” she says. “The doctors asked about taking him off the machine. I made the decision to continue, and I am so glad I did.” Ultimately, I recovered. Medically stable, I was discharged to Slate Valley Center to start my rehab journey. The therapy is beautiful, the entire staff is very helpful, and the care is excellent. I may have lost my leg, but I’m making great strides toward meeting my goal— getting stronger and returning home to Toni. I would recommend Slate Valley Center to anyone; they do a great job!

I just turned 91, I’ve been a resident at Slate Valley Center for four years, and I love it! They take such good care of me here. And I’ve made so many good friends—both the staff and other residents. This is my home. I’m on a special diet, but the nutritionist and kitchen staff do such a great job; I love the food. My favorite time of the week is church service They not only take care of your physical needs here at Slate Valley Center, they also look after you spiritually and emotionally. I enjoy celebrating all the holidays—the team here makes sure we have a lot of fun. They also make sure we stay in touch with our families, and I call my children every night. And if I just feel like talking, sharing a story or two, there’s always someone here to listen. It’s no wonder that I’m so happy at Slate Valley Center.

It was just crazy, it happened out of the blue—no warning whatsoever. I was picking up my son, stepped out of my car, and crumpled to the pavement. Somehow, I had broken my ankle. And when I say broken, I mean shattered, as though my ankle was made of glass. I was in the OR at Glens Falls Hospital that afternoon, and the surgeon had to pick pieces of bone out of my leg. When I came out of surgery and realized what had happened, I was devastated. Stand up and walk? I thought: Never going to happen. But I couldn’t stay in the hospital forever, and chose a rehab facility at random: Slate Valley Center. It was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. The physical and occupational therapists at Slate Valley Center are dynamite! I went into the place in the worst frame of mind possible—and, thanks to them, I walked out, on my own, in the best frame of mind. They turned my life around. My biggest problem now is how much I miss all my good friends at Slate Valley Center!

Covid-19 landed me in Glens Falls Hospital for 32 days, but on Easter Sunday, things were not looking good for me. I had been on a ventilator for 14 days, and they told me at that point I was unresponsive—so unresponsive, the medical providers feared the worst. They asked my family: If I was still unresponsive when they took me off the ventilator, should they intubate me again? Or just let me die peacefully? My poor wife, Ann—we’ve been married for 57 years—was scared to death. My whole family feared the worst. But miraculously, when they removed the ventilator, I started to breathe on my own. I had beaten Covid-19. I was on the road to recovery. But my journey back to health had just begun. The virus had ravaged my body, and I was badly in need of rehab. That’s where Slate Valley Center came in. The therapists there are terrific. In less than two weeks—10 days—they had me back home! All of them—both at the hospital and Slate Valley Center—are my heroes! Healthcare workers who are miracle workers.

The pass was a little high, and I had to jump to catch it. I knew as soon as I hit the ground what happened. I heard the pop in my left knee and felt the searing pain. The reason I knew right way was because a year before, the same exact thing had happened in my right knee. I had torn both my ACL and my MCL. Fortunately, I knew what I had to do. The first time it happened, I came to Slate Valley Center for outpatient rehab. The therapists worked wonders on my right knee. Now I asked them to do the same on my left. I’m only 16, but I’ve learned from my coaches: if you want to achieve excellence, you have to work hard. By that measure, the physical therapists at Slate Valley Center practice an extreme form of excellence! But I’m driven, and so are they—which is one reason I like them so much. I want to work hard. Don’t get me wrong. They’re fun and friendly, too—an awesome group of people, and all from around this area. The pain is gone, but I’ll always remember the great team at Slate Valley Center.

I fell and broke my hip. I had surgery to replace half of my hip, but my muscles were so weak, I couldn’t get around. I worried that I would be a burden on my family. Fortunately, I went to Slate Valley Center for my recovery and rehab. The staff made me feel wonderful. They are all so cheerful and helpful. The therapy staff is especially wonderful. I also want to thank the CNAs. They were there to take care of my every need. I was back home in less than a month, able to get around on my own. Of course, my family was there to help me, but thanks to the Slate Valley Center team, I’ve got my strength back!