With Gratitude: Patient Stories

Ed Smith was born at Newport Hospital in 1948. Both of his sons were born here too, as were three of his grandchildren. So, when he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) at the hospital in 2015, he knew he was in the right place and would get the right care.

Just before Christmas in 2021, Martha Hunnewell contracted COVID. She quickly developed serious complications and, sadly, passed away a few short weeks later.  She was 77. 

For about a week in January of 2022, Hillary Dutton was experiencing what she described as “subtle abdominal discomfort” on her lower right side. Even though the pain grew gradually in intensity, Hillary said it never got excruciating or unbearable for her. Still, at the encouragement of friends, she decided to visit the ED at Newport Hospital just to be on the safe side.

For nearly a decade, Dave has been a heart patient at Newport Hospital and has experienced firsthand the world-class, lifesaving care its staff provides right here on the island. “It’s easy to support them,” he adds. “Everyone is polite, courteous, and knowledgeable and it’s like a homecoming every time I visit."

It was October of 2022, and Andrea Blair’s life was about to change in a sudden and cruel way. “I wasn’t feeling well for a few days,” she remembers, “and one morning I woke up with tingling in my feet and having trouble walking…then my legs just gave out on me.”