Specialist helps people breathe easier

Phillis Bomar had given up wearing necklaces years ago because her cannula for oxygen would have been in the way.

All that and more has changed with help from Robert Stalbow, a pulmonary rehab therapist at PeaceHealth in Springfield, Oregon.

"Sometimes when you're struggling and you're sick, you just can't see the light. It was very hard for me to see that I would be sitting here without (the need for) oxygen (therapy)," says Phillis. "Robert helped me see the future."

As she had made strides in her health recovery, a friend gave her a necklace. "My heart leaped for joy," Phillis says. She now wears a necklace every day--thanks to Robert's care. "Spiritually, he helped me to keep going."

Robert says that he and the team at PeaceHealth focus on work with each person as an individual--no cookie cutter approach. "Our patients have the skills necessary to be successful. We just have to draw it out of them and help them connect the dots so they can be effective in terms of how they manage their condition. And also to give them hope so they look forward to a future that is much better than the one that they're currently existing in."

Phillis isn't the only one to feel a renewed sense of relief and hope for a brighter future. 

Watch the video for more insights into the way Robert has helped patients on their journey to better living.