Maria Cardi

These days, Maria Cardi spends so much time at Newport Hospital it has become like her second home.

It wasn’t always like that for Maria. When she was 30 years old, a serious struggle with Crohn’s disease, ileitis and colitis forced her to have most of her small intestine removed, yet Maria didn’t let that stop her. She continued to be the active woman she always was, enjoying biking, swimming, and walking the beach.

She loved to travel to Florida and Europe and continued to do so for decades – until she was well into her sixties. Throughout the years, she continued to fight many battles with her disease. “You can be in remission for months -- even years -- but it eventually comes back,” Maria said recently.

She moved to Florida but as her condition continued to worsen, she had to have an ileostomy. The surgery was necessary to save Maria’s life. It also caused life-changing problems.

Since Maria’s body can no longer absorb nutrients, she must be nourished through an IV. She knew the kind of continuous care she would require would best be found at the hospital she trusted most….Newport Hospital. So Maria moved back to Newport and she now comes to the hospital for IV hydration therapy five days a week for two-and half-hours each visit.

Maria’s team at Newport Hospital is a comprehensive group consisting of a gastroenterologist, a primary care doctor, a surgeon (who puts in the ports she needs to receive her hydration, minerals, and antibiotics), an oncologist, a kidney specialist because ileitis and Crohn’s can also affect the kidneys…and, of course, some of the best nurses anywhere.

“I spent time in other hospitals in Florida and in RI, and the staffs were professional but the care always felt very impersonal. Here at Newport Hospital the staff connects to you like family. Any questions you have are answered immediately by easily the best hospitalists I have ever met. The nurses have won just about every award given to hospitals because they really care about their patients in both professional and very personal ways. I came to Newport because it is a great hospital that gives me hope every day I am here,” concluded Maria.

Maria is a very brave woman. She doesn’t travel nearly as much as she used to but still gets to museums, the beach, and music festivals. She no longer swims because of fear of infection of the ports she needs for IV treatments, but she still walks regularly for exercise. Seeing her grandchildren and making people happy with her cooking remain two of her favorite things.