Nina’s Path to Renewal
Nina, grateful patient
For Nina, life has always been full of movement. As a master gardener, devoted volunteer, and passionate philanthropist, she has spent her life cultivating beauty and connection. But one rainy morning, everything changed.
While preparing for a visit from her granddaughter, Nina slipped and fell. Her knee shattered on impact, and she had to be rushed to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital to undergo emergency surgery.
“I told the doctors I wanted to go home right away,” Nina recalls. “But something—call it intuition, maybe a guardian angel—told me not to. That’s how I ended up at Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital. And that’s where my true healing began.”
At Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital (CRH), Nina found more than expert care. She found compassion, connection, and the strength to move forward. From physical therapists to aides, every person helped her rebuild confidence—step by step. Her physician, Dr. Sharon Basham, became a guiding light. “She believed in me before I could believe in myself,” Nina says.
When Nina was discharged, her care team gathered for a heartfelt sendoff—complete with hugs, laughter, and a signed T-shirt. “It was the sweetest thing,” she says, eyes welling.
When she left CRH, Nina didn’t just walk out the door—she carried a mission with her. Inspired by her journey and her love of nature, Nina made a generous gift to help build the Healing and Restorative Garden at the new CRH on the Goleta Valley Campus. Her gift will create a peaceful space where future patients can breathe deeply, find comfort, and take their own next steps.
“Cottage gave me my life back,” Nina says. “I felt safe. I felt cared for. I even felt joy. I’ll never stop being grateful.”
Your support helps create more than just healing—it builds spaces where hope can flourish. With your help, we can keep growing stories like Nina’s—one step at a time.
When someone in our community like Nina faces a life-altering injury or disability, they turn to Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital to receive the very best care. For more than 60 years, patients have trusted us to help restore their lives and get back to what they love.
Give the Gift of Recovery
