A nurse with good ears and a kind heart will glean much more than a patient's medical history when making a pre-anesthesia assessment phone call. One such occasion happened this past December, just weeks before Christmas. As JoAnn Mallory RN was obtaining the history of a patient who would be traveling to St. Elizabeth Surgery Center Edgewood from Georgia for corneal surgery. she learned a lot about him, his family, and their interesting situation.
Thirty-three-year-old J is a Marine Veteran. He had been deployed for just two weeks in Iraq when he was ordered to guard an ammunition depot, which subsequently was bombed on his guard. Among other injuries, J lost vision in both eyes. JoAnn learned through the course of his interview, that he would be driving from Georgia with his wife and children ages eleven through eight months. They were renting a house in nearby Covington as they would be staying in Northern Kentucky for two weeks.
JoAnn shared this information with her pre-anesthesia co-worker Brenda Berry RN. They discussed that they would like to serve this family in some way. Brenda came up with some ideas which she shared with our assistant nurse manager, Shelly Devoto RN and the staff of the Surgery Center. Knowing that the family would be at the Surgery Center for at least four hours Brenda anticipated the children needing lunch, naps, and of course, toys. She enlisted the staff to bring in three pack and plays so the young children could sleep along with the toys and movies appropriate for the various ages of the children. Brenda also asked for cash donations so we could provide lunch for the family.
With two days' notice, Brenda and the surgery center staff transformed our business office into a daycare with the toys, puzzles, movies, and over the door basketball hoop, Christmas crafts, and the three pack and plays which Brenda and her co-workers provided. Enough money was raised not only to buy pizza and drinks for the family, but Brenda was able to purchase Walmart and gas gifts cards in excess of $200.
When the family arrived the day of surgery, they were overwhelmed by the generosity of our staff. The wife was relieved to know that the children would be fed and entertained during the long wait. The children could not have been more well-behaved. The older children helped the younger children enjoy all that we had to offer. When J was discharged, we thanked him for his service to our country and presented them with the gift cards, along with groceries, milk, and a fruit basket to assist them during their two-week stay in Northern Kentucky. J and his wife could not thank Brenda and the staff enough. J cried and hugged each staff member. They were shocked to think that we would "do so much" for total strangers.
One might think that the story ends here, but it doesn't. One of our staff members apologized to us that family circumstances prevented a donation at this time. Without missing a beat, in true Surgery Center and St. Elizabeth fashion, a collection was made for this family's needs. Amongst the Surgery Center and other St. Elizabeth Surgery Departments, $1600 was gifted to this family.
Shelly Devoto, RN later commented that she was so proud of her staff for pulling this together so quickly. She mentioned that it was so rewarding to see the power that nurses and staff have to do good for strangers as well as our own. We came together as a community for two families in need.