Do you have a "plant rescue" success story?

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When I bought my house several years ago, it had only one previous owner... a senior lady who had become wheelchair bound. She was a former avid gardener and missed being able to get outside. She told me about the magnolia she had planted and the hyacinths and such... but she could no longer see them. Which also translated to - she could also not take care of them. Once I got the house, I was able to better assess the plants. The hyacinths had died out completely... which was sad. The magnolia was looking a little rough but, with care, it's now thriving. In front, there were two shrubs - a white spirea and a weigela. The weigela looked crushed, like someone had stepped on it and the spirea had a huge, deadwood section right in the front. I hate to ever dig up and throw away a plant, though, so I bit the bullet and basically cut them both hard to the ground. I thought they couldn't look any worse so, if they died, at least I had made an effort. I'm so excited that, after a couple of seasons, they are both BEAUTIFUL now!! They are also both flowering and I feel such a sense of accomplishment. I'll attach a post of the weigela because it was the one that had been in the worse shape of the two. How about you? Do have some "plant rescue" success stories?