Working in healthcare, you never know who you will meet or how long they will be under your care; however, I enjoy getting to know every one of my patients and hearing about their experiences.
When talking to Edward Lawko, Sprenger Hospice resident, I asked him about his favorite pastimes. To my surprise, his favorite memories were of high school. He shared that he loved sports and although he was not able to participate, due to Polio, watching football was is one of his favorite things to do. This gave me the idea of organizing for him to attend a high school football game.
With the help of Mike Collier, Clearview High School’s Athletic Director, I arranged for Lawko to attend an evening of friday night football.
On game day, Lawko, who was accompanied by his nephew Steve and his wife Suzette, were surprised with a gourmet tailgate, compliments of Sprenger Health Care’s Dietary Staff.
Before entering the game, Clearview High School Athletic Director and Clippers Head Coach, Mike Collier and his coaching staff greeted the Lawko family, presenting Edward with a team jersey, helmet and signed T-shirt.
Lawko did not stop smiling. He was overwhelmed with the gifts, but the night’s festivities had only just begun. Lawko was privileged with the title “Honorary Captain” and was asked to participate in the coin toss.
The crowd cheered for Lawko as he took to the field.
I don’t think I have ever seen him smile so much and it never left his face. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, we were surprised to find out one of the coaches for the other team was Mr. Lawko’s cousin.
It turns out we picked the perfect game to attend. Mr. Lawko was able to watch the game, experience tailgating and create some great memories with his family.
When I’m asked why I do what I do, I think about these experiences and memories of life we get to share, create and maintain with our patients and families. This is why I do what I do!
Voni de Almeida – Sprenger Hospice
