Finding Shoes

1.29.2010

Today’s story comes from Ivan, the chaplain on our Kissimmee campus, where caregivers went beyond physical healing and generosity extended beyond hospital walls.

“Each morning I am invited to attend the Nursing Huddle at FHK. This morning our house supervisor was sharing some of the “challenges” that we had for the day. She said there was a patient that had been discharged the night before but because he had no shoes and it was so cold outside, he had to stay for one more night.

Immediately I started making phone calls trying to locate a pair of shoes through the usual church charities but learned there aren’t many people out there with size 14 feet. Since Wal-Mart is right down the street, this seemed the best way to solve the matter.

As I made my way to the shoe department, I was amazed to find that the very first pair of shoes I picked up was size 14. They were perfect. Happily I walked to the cashier and placed the shoes on the belt to pay for them. The very observant Wal-Mart associate looked at the shoes, took a look at my much smaller feet and said: “excuse me for asking, but aren’t these shoes kind of big for you?” I smiled at her and said I am a chaplain at Florida Hospital, and told her about the patient needing shoes in order to go home. Giving me a mischievous look, she asked if I could wait a moment and then walked away.

Minutes later she returned with a big smile on her face and a plastic card. She swiped her card and my price for the shoes immediately decreased by 50%. Winking at me, she said: “This will be our good deed for the day.” So today, a Florida Hospital Kissimmee patient was able to go home with a brand new pair of shoes, courtesy of a nameless Wal-Mart Associate and the staff of FHK.”

Mother Teresa is known to have said, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness.” Thank you Ivan for sharing how the team in Kissimmee lives our mission.

Lars Houmann, FACHE
President and CEO
Florida Hospital