What does Memorial Medical Center mean to you?

Story for Joy Beese

For two years, Joy Beese and her soul mate worked at constructing their dream home in Cape Caranchua. As self-contractors, each beam and nail placement were thoroughly examined and lovingly placed. This was another ordinary day at the construction site thought Joy as she watched her mate climb the ladder to the third floor of their pending home. He had made these trips up and down the ladder a dozen times during construction. Little did Joy know what she thought was an ordinary day was about to become extraordinary.


No one really knows what caused the fall. From three stories up, her partner tumbled landing face down on the concrete pad below. In her panic, Joy and a family member decided to transport her mate directly to the hospital rather than waiting on a pending ambulance. The 15 mile trip felt like an eternity as her loved one slipped in and out of consciousness. Convinced death was near, Joy's soul mate asked for his ordeal to be video recorded. The moments left would allow him to capture his thoughts and any sentiments left unshared.


Meanwhile, at the Memorial Medical Center Emergency Department business was continuing as usual. Teresa Miller, ED manager, recalled the events of that afternoon vividly. "The buzzer went off to the ambulance entrance doors which required staff to authorize entrance. As I approached the doors and saw the Beese family I knew instantaneously we had a trauma situation. Personnel sprang into action as we coordinated efforts to evaluate the patient and execute a plan." Within an hour, Joy's loved one was stabilized and airlifted to a trauma facility.


"If I had to choose one word to describe my Memorial Medical Center experience, it would be action," noted Joy. "In one fluid motion, my loved one was surrounded by a team of experts focused on his recovery. The organization, compassion, and communication were so comforting during our critical situation."


Meanwhile, Joy's family member filmed the ordeal as requested. Rather than capturing the closing credits to a beautiful life, the film revealed a sentiment much different…It captured a day that went from ordinary to extraordinary due to action.