11 minute read
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
IT TAKES A VILLAGE DELLA NIPPER’S Road to Recovery
Story by GRAHAM DAVIS / Photos contributed by THE FAMLY
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020,
STARTED AS A NORMAL DAY FOR DELLA NIPPER, BUT LITTLE DID SHE KNOW THAT BY THE AFTERNOON, HER LIFE WOULD CHANGE FOREVER.
Della had retired after thirty years of teaching, nineteen of those with the Wayne County School System, but she continued to work half-days at Martha Smith Elementary School. As she did every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, she left work to babysit the grandchildren of her good friend, Pam Williams, which was typical of Della. She is known as “Mama D” to many
Della with her son, (right), Wes Nipper, and daughter and son-in-law, Mary Elizabeth & Thomas Swilley
Road to Recovery
in the community because of her willingness to help others in times of need. On the way to the Williams' home, she suddenly started feeling unwell. She remembers calling a family member for help, but the rest of the details are still fuzzy in her mind. It would be a couple of weeks before she remembered anything else. What began as a normal day with Della helping others quickly changed into a day when she would be the one needing help.
When the EMTs arrived on-site, Della was immediately life-fl ighted to Memorial Hospital in Savannah. She underwent an emergency craniotomy and was later diagnosed with having had a hemorrhagic stroke resulting from two brain bleeds on diff erent sides of the brain. After two weeks, Della was transported to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta on October 8th, 2020. She was in pain but grateful to be alive, so it was here that the long road to recovery and intense therapy began. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Della’s daughter, Mary Elizabeth Swilley, was the only visitor allowed inside, and they could not leave the facility for the duration of their stay. Della found comfort knowing her youngest child, Wes Nipper, had a support system at home while she couldn’t be there. Mary Elizabeth kept a very detailed journal to document her mother’s daily progress at the Shepherd Center. Many family and friends back home in Wayne County and all over checked Mary Elizabeth’s Facebook updates, which always began with, “PRAISE THE LORD”. Whether it was a productive day or a diffi cult one, her posts always ended in thanks to all the people praying for Della’s healing.
In Wayne County, the community was coming together to show their support for Della Nipper as she fought the ba le of recovery. Della’s sonin-law and Wayne County High School football coach, Thomas Swilley, shared a good visual of what the community support looked like when Della was at the Shepherd’s Center in Atlanta. It’s a tradition to “light-up” Jaycee Stadium at the beginning of 4th quarter. But, in one specifi c game, the tradition was in honor of Della Nipper.
TOP LEFT Pam Williams and Kim Sims with Della before her stroke BOTTOM LEFT Della with Pam Williams' twin granddaughters.
ABOVE The t-shirt friends had designed with words they chose to describe Della. TOP RIGHT Card, le ers, and well wishes poured in for Della on her birthday while she was still at Memorial Hospital in Savannah. RIGHT At the Shepherd Center visitors had to talk with Della through a fence due to the strict regulations. “I was in the middle of coaching, and I immediately became emotional and started bawling.” Swilley explained. Anyone from a small town knows how much high school football is revered in the community, so it was special that they chose this moment to honor Della. Le ers, gifts, and care packages were delivered to the Shepherd’s Center at a staggering quantity. Even the staff was shocked at the amount of mail she received. Businesses like David’s Clothing, The Berry Patch, and Prissy Hen sent clothes and pajamas. There was a GoFundMe page allocated for Della’s medical bills that an overwhelming amount of people donated in support of the family. Her close friends Kim Sims and Pam Williams even sold bracelets and t-shirts. The t-shirt was composed of words that Della’s closest friends used to describe her, such as compassionate, cheerleader, dependable, determined, survivor, and God-fearing to name a few. Swilley described it as, “a constant stream of people, even those I had not yet met in the community, were asking how she was doing and what they could do to help.”
Visitor restrictions posed another obstacle in Della’s recovery. She could not touch or hug those who meant the most to her, but they found their mini haven in a small garden area outside the Shepherd’s Center and made it their own. For the next 48 days, this is where friends and
RIGHT Della with Mary Elizabeth and Thomas Swilley on Thanksgiving, 2020, after she returned home.
family would gather. They would visit through the fence that connected the garden to the outside world. Even a cheerful face, especially those of Pam’s grandchildren, had the power to positively aff ect her whole mood. It was these moments she remembered when recovery was too much to handle. Della said, “On the days where I couldn’t move the left side of my body and had to be lifted out of bed to do even the simplest of tasks, I would look back at the love and support I was receiving, knowing I had to get back home so I could return the favor.” While her commitment was focused on physical recovery, it was even more focused on the people who fought for her.
As recovery continued, it soon became evident to the family that handicap accommodations would be needed once Della returned home. Even after rehabilitation, she would require ramps at the house entrances, widened doorways for
the wheelchair, and a complete restructure of the bathroom. Kim and Pam, along with other close friends and family members, immediately went to work. Della had recently moved into her childhood home, which before the stroke, she had planned to renovate. Without hesitation, family and friends not only worked to get the handicap accommodations accomplished, but they also secretly completed a full renovation of the house as well. They knew it was what Della deserved on her return home, therefore it became their main objective. Before they knew it, the team was under a strict deadline. Kim and Pam oversaw the whole operation, as the two weeks prior to Della coming home required renovation all day, every day, from morning to night.
The renovation was a perfect example of a group eff ort, it was without fail that community members took initiative and off ered up their time or resources to help. Houston Viterbo from Viterbo Flooring donated supplies and labor, Shanna Shingler and family repurposed the furniture and painted the house, Coley Electric donated the ceiling fan, Altamaha Baptist Church donated and installed the handicap ramps, and a countless number of others contributed. Kim and Pam
Road to Recovery
would go to pick up supplies for the renovation, but businesses refused to let them pay. And it wasn’t just a few businesses, but an overwhelming majority, even from those who did not know Della personally but were touched by her story. “It’s the type of selfl essness that is hard to fi nd, and a testament to the people in this community. Not a single person expected anything in return,” said Kim. Pam added, “Even more so, it was a testament to Della’s character. There were so many people willing to pause their life to make hers easier. These people knew it was exactly what Della would do if the roles were reversed.” In fact, Della gave back to the community even from her hospital bed. She ordered birthday presents and sent meals to sick ones. Della never stopped pu ing others before herself.
As expected, the return home was an emotional one. When Della & Mary Elizabeth left the Shepherd’s Center on November 24th, 2020, they were greeted by a police escort at the Appling County line. When they reached the Highway 341 markers in Odum, the route to Della’s house was lined with cheering people. It truly was a homecoming parade.
When she saw the house and all the renovations, she felt like it was a brand-new home. As if she were in an HGTV show and they pulled the curtain away to reveal her dream house. “The feeling of being able to return home instead of a hospital or nursing home was indescribable and made all the diff erence in my physical, mental and emotional health.” Thanks to the community, and those closest to Della, the only thing she had to focus on when returning home was her health.
Her recovery is still a journey, but the future looks bright. Della now lives with Wes in the newly renovated house and keeps looking towards the milestones ahead, such as holding and loving on her future grandson. She can walk with assistance for short periods and intervals at a time. Slowly but surely, she is gaining more confi dence in herself and her abilities, and her family would say she is a lot stronger than she realizes. For now, she enjoys the li le things, like si ing in her favorite spot at the new house, the den that was transformed into a giant sunroom, and watching the birds outside.
It was without hesitation that Della shared she would not be where she is today if not for this community and its support. While she appreciated every le er, prayer, and item donated, few knew that this support is what kept her fi ghting day after day. “I would never want to live anywhere else. This is a community of people helping people, regardless of what they might be facing in their own lives, they always show up.” |WM
“The feeling of being able to return home instead of a hospital or nursing home was indescribable and made all the diff erence in my physical, mental and emotional health.”
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360 Peachtree St
Jesup, GA 31545
(912) 559-2071
2003 Alice St. Ste A Waycross, GA 31501
(912) 285-0053
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(912) 522-8404
301 Pine View Drive Waycross, GA 31501
(912) 285-2361
Clayton Conner, PT, DPT, OCS Physical Therapist Dr. Of Physical Therapy Othopedic Clinical Specialist Dry Needling | Spinal Manipulation
Sam Baker Physical Therapy Tech
Nick Child, PTA Physical Therapist Assistant
Joy Wilson Offi ce Manager
