Testimonials
“We live a half-hour from the hospital, and in that 30-minute drive, Nurse Adina gave us more honest, needed information than anyone in the hospital had given us in four days! And every word came with remarkable care and compassion. Thank you, Nurse Adina, for all that you gave us. Most importantly, you gave us a plan when we had none. And through it all, you taught us to make sure it was Mom’s plan … her decisions … her wishes. That honesty and respect meant the world to her in her final days and comforts us now, months later.”
“What a God-sent woman! It’s scary and lonely to walk through cancer with someone you love. Nurse Adina’s knowledge, courage, and warmth made all the difference. Without her, how would we have known what to do? Thank you, Nurse Adina, for all you’ve done that’s equipped you to be our guide and advocate through the overwhelming challenge of making the right decisions for someone you love. For such a time as this …” – Jeff
“One never wants to hear the word cancer. Let alone the words Leukemia. We were first in shock when we heard this, and then we were asked if we had any questions…How does one answer that question in those first few seconds or minutes. IF you can muster up the words, they are never what you want to say, and by the time you have formulated your questions, the doctor has left the room.
When we finally had questions, we quickly found out those questions led to other questions, and those questions led to unknown areas. People start throwing around letters and acronyms, and before you realize it, you live in a whole new alphabet that you weren’t taught growing up.
When I was first diagnosed, I was lost. I had no knowledge of my cancer. I didn’t understand the concept of Cycles and my wife & I felt lost. I thought this was the normal – my new normal. My life for the foreseeable future. I was so worried about some things, and I was not even paying attention to other things.
We were so thankful for the help Nurse Adina gave us and we wished we had her from the beginning because we would have known what to expect and what not to expect. As treatment became more complex, we became more confused, but she knew exactly what to tell us and how to direct us. She pointed us in a direction and prepared us for the most common outcome. Thanks to her, we knew what to look for and what to be worried about. I am not sure how we would have made it through those first few weeks without her.
Do not leave your life up to WebMD and your own studies, but rather find someone that not only knows the questions you will have, but also knows the questions that will come from those questions.” – Matt
In September,2019, I was diagnosed with CMML-, a form of Leukemia that was typically fatal. My oncologist/hematologist informed me that my only option for a potential cure would be to undergo a stem cell transplant. I called my niece, Adina Maynard, an Oncology RN, who had many years of experience caring for patients with many different types of cancer.
Adina helped me through the process of understanding the diagnosis (blood cancers are very complicated) and how to navigate decisions regarding chemotherapy and selecting the right stem cell transplant center. Adina was extremely helpful as time passed and complications arose due to the onset of COVID 19. My transplant was delayed until August 2020. Adina was a compassionate listener and helped my husband and I through those inevitable emotional ups and downs , providing clarity and direction when most needed. Following my transplant, Adina answered my many questions regarding medication side effects and how to realistically assess my recovery progress.
Adina’s in-depth knowledge, her understanding and compassion helped my husband and I to navigate this life-threatening event. As of this date, I am happy to report that I have no cancer cells. – Vivian
Being diagnosed with cancer in the height of COVID was mind blowing. The roller coaster of emotions was more than I could handle. We were amid a relocation and my world just stopped. The world, as a whole, was a scary place at the time, and going into various medical facilities for scans, tests, appointments etc. caused me tremendous anxiety, especially having to do it all alone because of COVID (No visitors allowed). I am normally the one everyone comes to when their life is overwhelmed, so I thought I could handle this – no problem. But after each Dr’s. appt, each treatment, each test, I would just go blank on what they had explained. I am overly organized and not new to the medical world and felt I had the ability to handle the research, but even with all this preparation, lists of questions, taking notes during appointments, my brain still turned to mush. It was too much. I was in a complete fog. Nurse Adina became my “translator” for each step of the way!! Listening compassionately, letting me get-in-touch with my emotions, while providing detailed explanations. Answering my questions, regardless of the level of complexity. She got me through it. Port being implanted, weekly chemo, double mastectomy, follow up infusions for an entire year. It has been a long journey and I am grateful and blessed that Nurse Adina was with me each step of the way! – CBG
