FIVE STARS ARE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH - An Extraordinary Physical Therapist Who Never Gave Up on me. I…read morehave never felt more compelled to put into words what someone has meant to me than I do now.
For the past four plus years, Yuriy has been an extraordinary part of my journey through three major surgeries, countless months of rehabilitation, setbacks, uncertainty, frustration, and, ultimately, an outcome I once wondered if I would ever achieve: I am walking independently again and getting my life back!!!
My journey was anything but straightforward. My first surgery was unfortunately not successful, and took multiple consultations to finally understand something was seriously wrong. The problem was so complicated surgeon after surgeon essentially told me they would not attempt to correct it because of the potential damage to my body to fix it. During all the uncertainty, Yuriy was there and he never gave up.
Yuriy brought an extraordinary combination of knowledge, experience, patience, kindness, professionalism, compassion, and hands-on care to every single session. He paid attention, listened and watched my progress--or, at times, my lack of progress--and he cared deeply about understanding why I wasn't getting better.
There were certainly moments when Yuriy became frustrated but his frustration was never with me. It was with the fact he could see something wasn't right, and he couldn't figure out what was preventing me from progressing. He cared even when the answer wasn't immediately apparent.
There were many times over those years I cried. Yuriy always managed to stay strong even when I was overwhelmed, discouraged, or simply exhausted from the long road. But there were also a few very special moments when I saw his own eyes had welled up with tears. Those moments have stayed with me because they showed me just how deeply he cared. He wasn't simply watching a patient struggle--he was emotionally invested in helping a person find her way back.
Eventually, after seeing multiple highly regarded surgeons at top NY hospitals, I finally found a courageous surgeon at HSS willing to take on the enormous challenge of correcting what had gone wrong. I underwent additional major surgeries, each followed by many months of PT. And through all of it, Yuriy was there. He adjusted... adapted... encouraged and challenged me when I needed to be and celebrated the smallest victories along the way.
One of the things which makes Yuriy even more remarkable to me is he is a husband and proud father of three, and yet somehow he still brings an extraordinary amount of energy, patience, and genuine compassion to his work every day. I have had the privilege of watching him interact with other patients and it is clear the care he has shown me is not something he reserves for one. He cares deeply about all his patients.
I would be remiss if I didn't recognize the INCREDIBLE team surrounding Yuriy. From the welcoming front-desk reception, to the Physical Therapist Assistants, and students completing their internships, every single person I have encountered has contributed to making this a place where patients feel cared for, respected, encouraged, and genuinely welcomed.
I have watched them work together as a true team, and their kindness, patience, professionalism, and willingness to help never went unnoticed by me. It takes a special kind of environment to make a patient feel comfortable through such a long and difficult recovery, and this entire staff has created exactly that. Yuriy may have been my primary physical therapist, but I am grateful to every member of this wonderful team who has been part of my journey.
My surgeon will always be one of the heroes of my story but Yuriy is the first hero in this story-- His kind of dedication is incredibly rare.
I cannot recommend Yuriy highly enough. I will forever be grateful he was the PT beside me on this journey
