Samantha Brout

The Y has been incredibly supportive through all my battles with knee surgery, hip surgery, my broken ankle – and especially when I had quadruple heart surgery. They never left me and always made me feel that I was missed. When I came back I was totally welcomed. Including the valets – after my heart surgery, one of them said to me “Where have you been?” I told him what happened. He lifted me up and was crying and welcomed me back. I mean it doesn’t get any better than that. I can say that the Y has been my major support.

Recently, I had vertigo and neuropathy and was out for a month so I wasn’t teaching Canasta and Mahjong. I was constantly getting emails from the participants asking where I was and when I was coming back. When I finally came back this week – well you would think Jacqueline Kennedy got reincarnated. I was waiting for a ticker tape parade! It was unbelievable. It was embarrassing!