Ruth Ellison, a young woman with multiple sclerosis, is involuntarily placed in the Lewellyn Care Center after the sudden death of her grandmother. Ruth has a disruptive impact on the institution and is frustrated by her developmentally challenged roommate Cass. While making things difficult for the nurses and staff, Ruth meets the other residents: Eleanor, a former singer who suffered brain damage in a car accident; Cal, an intelligent quadriplegic who views Lewellyn with disdain; and Lenny, a blind resident whose smothering mother works at Lewellyn. Ruth s spirit has an effect on those around her and the quirky group begins to create a strong, healthy community.