Today I became a member of the Board of Directors of the South Davis Community Hospital. They had asked me to join the board several weeks ago and today was my first board meeting with them. I had driven by the hospital in Bountiful, Utah many times when my parents lived in Bountiful for a time, but I had never actually gone into the hospital before today. During the board meeting we were taken on a tour of the facility and I have to tell you that I was really amazed. I had no idea that SDCH offered long term acute care for patients. In their pediatric wing they have children who have lived there for many years. The hospital is truly home to these sweet little ones. In addition they have adult long term acute care, orthopedic rehab, home health and hospice. Their facility is unique from any other in Utah and it is clear that they have the need to expand their facility in a major way. Some rooms have to hold up to three patients at a time and there are more patients out there who need their help and not enough room to take them all in. As we walked the halls in our tour I was able to see and meet several of the patients at the facility. I was amazed at the sweet children being cared for in the hospital. The Pediatric Transitional Care Program at SDCH bridges the gap in healthcare system for children with special needs. They provide a transitional living place for patients coming out of the acute care hospitals and pediatric ICUs to their community setting at SDCH. They even have schools for the kids and adults living at their facility. The staff was amazing and it was clear that patients of all ages truly appreciated the kind people working at the hospital.
As I watched these patients, from infant to elderly, suffering from injuries, trauma, and birth defects, it was such a reminder to me of how grateful each one of us should be for the blessings in our lives. It is so easy to look at your own life and find the things wrong with it to complain or grumble about, but when you spend two minutes in this hospital with these patients who are overcoming incredible physical challenges, it is enough to shut your complaining up for the rest of time. It makes you realize how blessed you are to have arms and legs that work and to have the ability to walk and talk and feed yourself. It makes you realize how petty and silly you are to ever take all the good in your life for granted.
In addition I watched the family members that were coming in faithfully to visit their loved ones that were being cared for in the hospital and it hit me what a huge sacrifice it is for them and what a huge challenge it must be to have someone you love with all of your heart suffering and unable to be home with you. The experience was humbling and heart wrenching and it served as an amazing reminder to me that I am blessed beyond measure to have a healthy body and a healthy husband and two healthy strong kids. I think I take that for granted far too often and I am going to do a much better job of recognizing what a blessing that is. In addition I am going to work really hard at not allowing myself to complain or grumble about silly problems and stresses anymore. My goodness those little problems don’t even fall into the same realm as the lives of those patients problems, so who am I to be grumbling about trivial things?
I am really appreciative of my experience today. It made me want to strive even harder to be a better, more grateful person. It also reminded me of how important it is for all of us to step up to the plate and do what we can to serve others. There are so many out there in much worse shape than we are and they need our help. Whether we help by donating time or money, any help is worthwhile. SDCH needs to be able to expand their center and I am going to do what I can to help them in that effort. They also could use donations of children’s toys and books and movies etc for their pediatric wing. I would challenge everyone to consider finding a way to help. Helping is a perfect way to express how grateful you are to God for all of the blessings you have in your own life, and all of us have blessings to be grateful for.
Have a great Wednesday everyone. ~Amy
Tagged blessings, complain, grateful, gratitude, health, SDCH
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