You mentioned that she made sure that they were watered. Next thing to check is that they're not sitting in water.
I bought a bunch (don't tell my accountant how many!) around Christmas. They were in full bloom and looked great. And then the snow and ice came. I didn't expect the blooms to last, but the plants in general were headed downhill. It turns out that the pots I bought them in had liners with no holes. There was at least 2 inches of water sitting around the plant. Once I pulled them out, they started to perk up again.
I live in Maryland, as our temps lately have been hovering between 2 and 19 during the nights. Both the plants in the ground and my new ones still in pots are doing fine.
Hellebores are my new love. We have a large lot that is mostly shade. I've done about all that I can with hosta and am now starting to fill in the holes with hellebore. By the time the ground thaws, I figure I'll have 12-15 varieties. (Again can't let the accountant find out!)
Best of luck to your friend.
Rick M