Amidst all the challenges, Jake shared that what truly surprised him was discovering “how many genuinely kind people exist in the world.”

“I don’t want to come across as pessimistic, but I had a rather bleak perspective. Trusting anyone outside of my close circle was difficult for me. I thought there were just a lot of selfish and opportunistic individuals out there,” Jake reflected.

“During my entire recovery journey, I often felt isolated, especially while being in the hospital. With no family nearby, navigating different medical facilities on my own left me quite alone, except for the dedicated healthcare staff—nurses, personal care aides, and assistants—who treated me with such kindness. The therapists were equally supportive.

In a long-term care facility, we are expected to purchase our own toiletries, including soap. Given my limited finances and absence of visitors, the staff took it upon themselves to ask me, ‘What kind of soap would you like?’ and they would make sure I had it. They even brought me balloons to celebrate my birthday.

This kindness continued even after I transitioned out of the hospital.”