As a physical therapist, Molly Redden loves people and helping them meet their goals. She builds trust and relationships with her patients, students, and colleagues. Patients will contact her with concerns, successes, and their achievements long after discharge.

This year she and another colleague created and implemented a summer camp for students with mild to moderate impairments called PALS (Pushing All LimitS). This camp allows students to participate in activities at their level which during school would have to be adapted for them to keep up with their peers. The progress these students have made with improving their skills and strength to do physical activities has been amazing. The students are happy to be at camp, parents are excited to see the improvements and staff have found joy in watching camp sessions. She is a willing and enthusiastic mentor to students, a great clinical instructor and charismatic classroom teacher.

As a colleague, Molly is the one who often initiates ideas for gifts for weddings, babies, etc. She remembers special occasions like milestone work anniversaries and birthdays and will give a little gift or party.

 The time Molly invests in building relationships among patients, students and coworkers allows her to lead by her actions. She is the first one with a smile and her positivity can be felt throughout the room.

Molly goes above and beyond frequently by adjusting her schedule to treat patients before or after regular work hours, having treats ready for pediatric patients to help them get through difficult sessions, and assisting patients/families in finding needed equipment.

Molly has brought food to the nursing department on Thanksgiving to let them know she appreciated what they do, volunteered to be a guide runner for a visually impaired cross-country runner so they could participate in the sport, and purchased a pair of shoes for a patient who was not able to afford them. Molly's commitment to the medical center and her community shine in her volunteer work. Molly is a youth volleyball and basketball coach, athletic booster, and past board member of the WCS Athletic Boosters, Foundation and Shedevils Dance Team. She is always actively working on tasks/projects to make them successful and is an excellent ambassador for PMC.

- Submitted by Andrea Blecke at Providence Medical Center, Wayne, NE

When the Community Education Committee sent out a general request for donations of homemade teddy bears for our pediatric ED and FMC patients, Nancy Wilbern, a dietary worker, took it upon herself to make the bears. By the time she finished, she had created 31 bears. She drove 30+ miles in one direction to purchase fabric that was extra soft for the kids to hug (with her own money). She was concerned about the safety of the children, so she did some research and learned how to make the bears child-safe by sewing the eyes and nose instead of using buttons. These bears will be given to kids and babies who are not feeling good or newborns at their very first appointment.

 Nancy is a true example of a caring, thoughtful individual who gives of herself to others.

Nancy dedicated a significant amount of her personal time outside of work, and the associated financial costs, to craft these teddy bears. Her willingness to invest both time and money into her workplace, without any hesitation, exemplifies her commitment and generosity.

Whenever you encounter Nancy in the dietary department, she always has a smile on her face and greets everyone by their first name. Her positive demeanor contributes to enhancing the overall ambiance within the hospital's halls.

- Submitted by Casey McDonnough & Gloria Przygoda at Pinckneyville Community Hospital, Pinckneyville, IL

In 1986, nurse Sandra Clarke faced a heart-wrenching moment when she couldn't stay with a patient who requested her presence, and returned to find the patient had passed away alone. Driven by compassion, in 2001, she initiated the "No One Dies Alone" program, enlisting volunteers to sit with terminally ill patients lacking companionship. What began as a local effort has now evolved into a global movement.

No One Dies Alone serves as a volunteer program that ensures the comforting company of a dedicated volunteer for patients in their final moments. Supported by the nursing staff, these companions play a crucial role in offering patients the profound gift of a dignified death.

The No One Dies Alone manual, a resource guiding compassionate volunteers, has been distributed to over 400 hospitals, hospices, and AIDS care facilities worldwide. Remarkably, this all-volunteer initiative operates without significant funding, relying only on a modest grant to cover manual printing costs.

The individuals who step up to volunteer for No One Dies Alone represent a diverse and captivating mix. From hospital staff including carpenters, administrative heads, maintenance workers, nurses, secretaries, to kitchen workers, a broad spectrum of individuals has enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to contribute to this meaningful cause.

You can learn more about the program by visiting https://how-we-die.org

- Submitted by Lynn Sullivan