We've Got S.P.I.R.I.T.
Date: January 26, 2004

Why do I give to S.P.I.R.I.T.?
If she had a name, it would be Heather.

Born in June, Heather, by all appearances, was healthy, with chubby cheeks and curious eyes, but a third shift nurse in the newborn nursery noticed an unsettling pattern. As she watched this new human just a few hours old, the nurse realized that every time Heather hungrily sucked formula from her bottle, her blood oxygen levels would drop.

That’s not supposed to happen.

Doctors were called. Tests were performed. A diagnosis was made: Heather was not swallowing her formula. Each time she attempted to drink from her bottle, she inhaled the nourishment into her lungs, putting her at risk for pneumonia and countless other complications.

A tube was inserted into Heather’s tiny nose to supply her with the nutrition she so desperately needed but was unable to acquire. Medical professionals searched for the reasons behind Heather’s dysphagia, or swallowing issue, and found no cause. At three-months-old, Heather, who by now had also forgotten how to suck from a bottle, was referred to Floyd Medical
Center ’s Pediatric Rehabilitation program.

As a speech therapist, I devised a treatment plan for Heather that included the use of VitalStim, a new, ground-breaking device that employs electronic stimulation to teach both children and adults to swallow.

This technology was available thanks to Floyd Medical Center employees who give their time, talent and treasure to S.P.I.R.I.T., a fund-raising arm of Floyd Healthcare Foundation reserved for employees of our organization.

Last year, the S.P.I.R.I.T. Committee began awarding grants to departments and teams within the hospital, and the Rehabilitation Services Department completed a grant application for the VitalStim device.

Since that first grant was awarded, the S.P.I.R.I.T. Committee has given money for the purchase of a pediatric VitalStim, a Tryke Bike for pediatric rehabilitation patients and videocassette recorders for extended stay Labor and Delivery patient rooms.

Before the grant process was put into place, S.P.I.R.I.T. funds purchased compact disc players for delivery rooms, a defibrillator for training classes, child safety seats and Buckle Bear a mascot of the Emergency Medical Service that has taught thousands of children and their parents the importance of buckling up in the car.

In addition, the 1,150 Floyd employees who give a portion of each paycheck to S.P.I.R.I.T. have pledged $1 million to Floyd Healthcare Foundation’s Expanding Your Expectations campaign. S.P.I.R.I.T. funds also have been used to purchase a van and medical equipment. Administrators could have budgeted for this equipment, but that wasn’t necessary when employees stepped up to the plate and said, “We believe in the mission of Floyd Medical Center, and we want to financially support that mission.”

That first VitalStim purchased with S.P.I.R.I.T. funds was used on Heather with remarkable and rapid results.

In three short months, Heather learned to suck and to swallow. Her feeding tube was permanently removed two days before Thanksgiving, and now, as an 8-month-old, Heather is eating well.

That kind of success is what makes me proud to be a member of Floyd Medical Center’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Team and that kind of is success is why I am proud to count myself among the employees who are Special People Involved Reaching Into Tomorrow.

Why do I give to S.P.I.R.I.T.?

I give because of Heather. Her tomorrow is today.

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