Family Thanks Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital through Memorial Donations

Ron Spencer remembers his mom’s passion for travel—she took bus trips all over the United States. But one of her favorite destinations was Disney World, especially with her family. She went four times with her son Ron and his family. The picture of his mom smiling next to Mickey Mouse is one of his favorites.

Until this year, the 82-year-old didn’t let health challenges stop her. But this past June, Carol passed away after years of fighting health issues including lymphoma, kidney failure, bypass surgery and congestive heart failure. Repeated outstanding care at Lincoln Memorial Hospital, especially the Emergency Department (ED), led to a decision to donate memorial funds to the hospital foundation.

“I was with her for a lot of her appointments, especially the last five or six years,” Ron said. “It always seemed like when she got here, she knew she would be in great hands. Her last year, we had been at the ED probably six or seven times, and it seemed to always fall on a weekend when they were at their busiest. You could tell the staff was stressed just from the amount of people and COVID-19. The nurse we had was so caring and super with my mom who was in a tremendous amount of pain. They just had a way to calm her down and give her what she needed to help her feel better.”

Once they were placed in a patient room after the last ED visit, Ron and his mom talked about how the hospital might be a good destination for any memorial funds. Carol loved pets and supported the local fire department, but when the mother and son talked about the importance of the hospital to people who needed access to quality, local care, she decided she wanted to donate to the hospital.

More than $3,000 in memorials was donated to the Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation.

“She was a hard-working lady, very loyal and dedicated,” Ron said of his mom. “She impacted a lot of people. I’m just happy we were able to help people who may have known my mom. In Lincoln and Logan County, we are so fortunate to have access to a top-notch ED without having to travel very far. And if they can’t help you here, they can get you where you need to go.”

For information on how you can support Lincoln Memorial Hospital through the Foundation, please call 217-605-5006.