Same Day Surgery Center caregivers use generosity to help a patient’s family

“Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

This quote, made famous by Mister Rogers, serves as a warm reminder that there are always people who look for ways to make a situation better. At Monument Health, you don’t have to look far to find them.

Whether they’re operating within their roles in the system or volunteering their time outside of work, Monument Health caregivers are the definition of helper. Sometimes, they go beyond the duties of their roles to make a difference, like Same Day Surgery Center caregivers DeeDee Carda, Nurse Manager, Carla Carmichael, Support Specialist II, and Ronda Lamke, Credentialing and Privileging Specialist.

Not long after the holidays, Carla was checking in a young patient. When verifying the address, the patient’s mother indicated that their home had burned down the night before. “That little child, here for surgery, just looked really sad,” Carla said. “His mother told me he was upset because all his Christmas presents were destroyed.”

Ronda overheard this exchange and knew that her team couldn’t ignore it. “It broke my heart,” she said. “I took them back to their room and then I went to DeeDee and explained the situation.” Like many Same Day Surgery patients, these two had traveled to Rapid City the day before the procedure. They had stayed in a hotel, but because of the situation back home, they didn’t know where they would be staying when they left town. “They lost everything,” said Ronda. “I said, ‘what if we gathered money and got them a Wal-Mart gift card or something?’ And DeeDee thought that sounded great, and I went back out and told Carla that we’re going to ask our people to gather some money, because everyone here is pretty generous.”

Ronda was right about that — the caregivers at Same Day Surgery Center are generous, raising almost $700 for this family, giving them gift cards for gas and groceries, as well as some cash to use for whatever the family needed. “The mom was just so touched,” DeeDee added. “She just couldn’t believe people would do that for a stranger, but everyone who works here just cares.”

The generosity of Same Day Surgery Center caregivers made a huge impact on this patient’s family, but they don’t limit their giving to one emergency or one family. “We’ve just got this group here, at Same Day, that whenever there’s any kind of need, in just a few minutes, it’s like, everyone is pitching in, in one way or another,” said DeeDee. From preparing meals for fellow caregivers when they’re ill or have surgery, to adopting families during the holidays, these caregivers are always eager to help. ”

“It’s nice that there are good people out there,” added Ronda. When it comes to good people, the caregivers at Same Day Surgery Center have set an example that anyone can be proud to follow.