As we enter 2025, our theme “Walking in a Winter Wonderland,” with an emphasis on “walking,” reminds us of the importance of mobility for our patients during their hospitalization.
We are also proud to celebrate our many team members who received JH-AMP awards in 2024, including our October 2024 winners: Most Improved Unit – Critical Decision Unit (CDU) and Most Compliant Unit – Kelemen Trauma Step Down Unit (TSDU). See below for pictures.
We also celebrate Ashley Celeste, Associate Clinical Director, Pavilion 6 day shift, for winning the 2024 Autumn Harvest campaign contest with her patient success story. Ashley won a pizza party for her unit. Her beautifully written submission follows:
A Journey of Strength: How the Johns Hopkins Activity and Mobility Promotion Transformed a Life
Sometimes, the smallest steps lead to the most extraordinary transformations. This is the story of a patient whose journey, marked by immense challenges, became a testament to the power of movement, hope, and resilience—all made possible by the unwavering guidance of the Johns Hopkins Activity and Mobility Promotion.
When he arrived in our care, he was in a dark and fragile place. After enduring multiple bowel resections, an ostomy, and complications that left his body weak and his spirit broken, recovery felt unimaginable. Non-healing wounds, no bowel function, and reliance on TPN through a PICC line seemed to define his days. He felt trapped—by his body, his circumstances, and a loss of hope. Even the smallest movement felt impossible, and his will to try was slipping away.
But the Johns Hopkins Activity and Mobility Promotion offered a lifeline. This wasn’t about immediate transformation; it was about meeting him exactly where he was and helping him reclaim his life, one small, deliberate step at a time.
The first milestone was simple but profound: sitting up at the edge of the bed. For him, it was a monumental task, requiring effort, patience, and encouragement. Yet when he achieved it, there was a spark of hope—a glimpse of what was possible. From there, he began to move forward, gradually and deliberately. He stood with support, took small steps, and eventually sat in a chair. Each small success was celebrated with cheers and belief in his potential.
By day six, something miraculous happened: he walked down the hallway, and for the first time in over a week, his ostomy began to function. That moment changed everything. The TPN was discontinued, food was reintroduced, and his body began to heal. But it wasn’t just his physical recovery that inspired us—it was the transformation in his spirit. The man who had once seemed defeated now smiled, joked, and set goals for himself.
By day 10, the patient who had been too weak to sit up just a week before was walking independently, his strength renewed, and his future restored. He was discharged home—a moment that had once felt impossible.
This journey wasn’t just about physical recovery; it was about rediscovering hope, dignity, and the belief that life could be full again. The Johns Hopkins Activity and Mobility Promotion didn’t just get him moving—it gave him back his agency, his confidence, and his will to live.
His story reminds us all that even the smallest steps can lead to extraordinary change. With the right support, compassion, and belief in what’s possible, the path from despair to triumph is always within reach.
We thank Ashley, the CDU, TSDU, and all who contribute to #everyBODYmoves in supporting our patients throughout the year.
Most Improved Unit – Critical Decision Unit (CDU)
Most Compliant Unit – Kelemen Trauma Step Down Unit (TSDU)