CHARITY EVENTS
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Treasure Coast Medical Report
a full crew working on it. The owner of the home was in his
private helicopter flying his crews in and out, every day, to
get the house back. The road to Sailfish Point opened and we
wound up having the ball. That was amazing.”
The Mum Ball that year was raising money for the PET/CT
scanner, a diagnostic tool that the hospital greatly needed. It
is used to target cancer in patients to help provide an effective
treatment plan. The committee was $500,000 short of
reaching their goal of $1,500,000. At the pre-ball party, some
of the spouses of the committee members helped out by doing
some additional fundraising of their own.
“I remember there were certain men who went around to
their friends at the party and said, ‘Let’s kick in,’” says Dr.
Linda Kardos, a long-standing member of the committee.
“They came up with the $500,000 to fill in the gap. That was
very exciting.”
HEALING HEART CARE
In 2005, the magic continued with a Cirque du Soleil theme
held under the big top tent. It was an evening where the circus,
gymnastics and theatre came together for an amazing entertainment
experience. Attendees found themselves mesmerized
by acrobats flying through the air in gravity-defying routines,
while contortionists gracefully twisted into incredible poses,
and clowns entertained with juggling and playful acts.
That year, the Mum Ball committee selected the cardiac
cath lab as its project, and so the event provided funds for
new technology, equipment and construction costs. The
hospital received approval and was laying the groundwork
to start an open-heart surgery center. As part of the program,
it needed to upgrade and expand the cath lab to perform
interventional cardiology. Up until that time, it was only used
for diagnostic purposes.
The program became so successful that in 2007, the ball
raised funds towards a second cardiac cath lab.
“The volumes were such that we needed more capacity.
Cardiac caths are often required on an emergent basis,”
explains Lord. “If someone comes to the ER, quite often, the
intervention — if they’re having cardiac distress — is to go
in, take a look, and if necessary, place a stent. It’s comforting
to know that it’s there. Those projects have saved who knows
how many lives. It’s a service that when you need it, you really
appreciate it.”
As president of the organization, Lord has been devoted
to providing exceptional healthcare with compassion, so patients
can lead longer and healthier lives. But little did he anticipate
that he would be a recipient of those services that he
champions. Recently on June 8, he took a stress test that came
back with an abnormal result. His interventional cardiologists
informed him that he had a critical blockage in his heart that
required immediate attention.
“I could have gone anywhere in the world, including to
Cleveland, and I chose to stay and have my surgery here,” he
says. “And the care that I received was second to none. I had
an outstanding surgeon — Dr. Ed Savage — who has done
great things and is highly regarded nationally.”
Lord is rehabilitating from the bypass surgery and says he
feels phenomenally well.
“I feel fantastic. I feel better than I did before the surgery,
which was less than two months ago,” he says. “I feel the best
that I’ve felt in a long time, in terms of physically. I wouldn’t
trade what I have here for anyplace else.”
ADVANCING NURSES
The Mum Ball committee selected the nursing scholarship
project in 2014, a program that would allow nurses to earn
their Bachelor of Science degree. The committee realized that
investing in the hospital’s nursing workforce was a win-win,
because it would enhance their knowledge, skills and the
Melissa Bennett, a charge nurse in the ICU, successfully pitched the nursing
scholarship program to the ball committee.
H. Lee and Dianne Davant Moffitt enjoy the ball festivities in 2017, while
supporting an important cause.
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