As any Magee patient or family member can tell you, life doesn’t stop after illness or injury. Many have jobs, commitments, and life events that continue. This couldn’t have been more true for recent Magee patient Marie Jones and her family. Marie was admitted to Magee in June after suffering a stroke. As Marie’s case manager, I worked closely with her two children Yosette and Norrece throughout her stay at Magee until she was discharged to home.
From the moment I met Yosette and Norrece, it was apparent how much they loved Marie and how they were willing to move mountains for her happiness and comfort. Early in Marie’s stay at Magee, Yosette made me aware of her son’s wedding on July 19 at the Down Town Club in Center City. “Mom’s attendance was extremely important to her and all of us,” Yosette said. My son “Ajamu is Mom’s only grandchild, and this long-planned wedding [to his fiancee Erin] was truly a milestone event for us all.”
Team Magee quickly went in to action to coordinate all the logistics for Marie to attend the wedding. “It seemed as though all on the Magee team adopted our family goal of having Mom attend the wedding,” Yosette said.
With transportation scheduled and two caregivers waiting to escort Marie to the event (including Magee certified nursing assistant Sandra White), the unthinkable happened. “It was almost as though we moved into miracle territory. Three or four days before the wedding, Mom had to be sent to another hospital with possible new symptoms,” Yosette recalls. “The Magee team continued to work and receive reports of Mom’s progress and return to Magee, keeping the family in the loop and more importantly, not cancelling the many elements and approvals that went into Mom’s attendance.”
Fortunately Marie returned to Magee before her grandson’s wedding and was able to attend the event as planned.
“I certainly had not anticipated that Mom would be part of the wedding procession, but she was. She sat in the first row in a space where she could see and hear the wedding very well,” Yosette said. “One unforgettable moment was seeing Mom, Erin, and Ajamu [together] following the wedding ceremony. They came over to greet her and celebrate her being there.”
Marie is now back in her Philadelphia home with the assistance of her children and caregivers. “The team at Magee lived up to the ‘Believe’ in their motto,” Yosette said. “We will never forget the kindness and professionalism of the Magee team!”
Patient Marie Jones takes part in her grandson’s wedding procession
