LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KTSM)–A group of about 14 area veterans prepared to go home from a Las Cruces assisted living facility where they recovered from COVID-19, but not before receiving a surprise send-off 2020 style.
“Seeing them like this was so great,” Kyleen Dye, the special unit nurse manager at Haciendas at Grace Village living center, said.
Dye said most of the patients have dementia and came into the facility so sick, only wanting to sleep all day. However, now as they were nursed back to health, they had smiles across their faces as Las Cruces police and firefighters led the parade.
“They’re stuck inside, they’re just excited to be outside, they just thought they were coming outside and they lit up like kids,” Dye said.
About 14 veterans lined the streets outside the facility, some watched from their windows in their rooms as the parade passed by, greeted with waves and well-wishes.
“We have quite a few of them who are Korean War veterans, they survived that and now all of a sudden on top of battling dementia and not knowing what’s going on, now they’re battling a virus that’s brand new to the world,” Dye said.
Nurses who fought alongside the veterans on their battle against a virus that’s already claimed the lives of so many, call this a bittersweet moment.
“Especially because you see them come and they’re so sick and then them being able to will themselves and it’s just happiness, happy tears,” Dye said.
Gary Coppedge, CEO of Haciendas at Grace Village in Las Cruces, said the facility has a covid-unit building specifically meant for recovering patients only. He said patients from local hospitals or other facilities over capacity go there to recover in a peaceful atmosphere and typically go home within two weeks.
“So we have the ability to take care of them and to help them in their recovery,” Coppedge said.
Xochitl Hernandez, the Executive Administrative Assistant, emotional at the parade calls this a time for celebration as the veterans can finally go home after so much uncertainty.
“Unfortunately so many have lost their lives to that, so many of our loved ones and it’s just to celebrate them,” Hernandez said.
The patients are expected to go home Wednesday.
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The Link LonkDecember 09, 2020 at 12:21PM
https://www.ktsm.com/local/local-veterans-receive-send-off-parade-after-recovering-from-covid-19/
Local veterans receive send-off parade after recovering from COVID-19 - KTSM 9 News
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