At the start of the pandemic, Chaplain Joel Jackson offered words of encouragement in his role as pastoral care director at Baptist Health Paducah. He reminded the team of caregivers that “this is our mission moment” — a time to overcome fear and show love to those in need.
The longtime chaplain was overwhelmed with the positive response, which included a note from the hospital system’s CEO asking him to share his inspirational words across all of Baptist Health. “I have been truly blessed because of the love shown to me simply because I was just doing my job, and for that I am grateful,” he says.
It’s especially important to embrace gratitude during difficult times, according to Joel, who believes those who are grateful tend to be happier. “They realize that it is just as easy to focus on the good as it is to focus on the bad. They send out positive energy, and that energy can be felt by others.”
God, family and work are Joel’s priorities in life, and he’s grateful every day.
“Gratitude can turn what we have into enough and more,” he says. “It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion into clarity. It has the ability to turn a simple meal into a feast, make a house into a home and turn a stranger into a friend.”
Gratitude can turn what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion into clarity.
When Melissa “Lee” Sheets had a hysterectomy in 2014, she assumed the surgery would eliminate the possibility of gynecological cancer. Five years later, however, a routine colonoscopy was the first step toward diagnosing primary peritoneal carcinoma.
The retired teacher sought care at Baptist Health, where she says, “There are no adequate words to express my appreciation and gratitude for the expertise, kindness and depth of support that surrounded me.”
In particular, Lee is grateful for Hope Cottrill, MD, a gynecological oncologist at Baptist Health Lexington. “Dr. Cottrill is an amazing doctor, no questions are ever too small, and she always seems to have the right answers,” she says. “Her office staff — from triage to scheduling — works tirelessly to improve the lives of their patients.”
Exploratory surgery determined Lee had stage 3 cancer, and she underwent six rounds of chemotherapy followed by hormone therapy. “What I lost was my hair, brows and lashes, but never my fight or spirit,” says Lee, who proudly proclaims herself a cancer survivor and an advocate dedicated to helping others facing cancer.
“I smile because I believe God gave me this unexpected journey as a lesson. As they say: When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.”
There are no adequate words to express my appreciation and gratitude for the expertise, kindness and depth of support, that surrounded me.
Blair Tolar, MD, was busy caring for patients at Baptist Health Paducah when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. The pain subsided after a few minutes, but the longtime OBGYN didn’t feel well the rest of the day.
Eventually Dr. Tolar headed to the Emergency Department, where it was determined he had suffered a tear in the heart’s main artery, and immediate surgery was required. Quick, cutting-edge, compassionate care saved his life — and for that he is grateful.
“I am incredibly grateful for the entire team at Baptist,” he says — from the emergency room staff to the surgeons, from ICU nurses to physical therapists, and every other caregiver he encountered along the way. “Quite simply, I want them to know how truly grateful I am. They all participated in their own ways to save my life.”
The long list of Baptist Health caregivers for whom he’s thankful includes cardiothoracic surgeon Austin Ward, MD, who performed a life-saving surgery, as well as physical therapist assistant JoAnne Pellarin, who encouraged him to overcome challenges early on in his recovery.
“I will not forget when I told JoAnn that I did not feel like walking. She stayed there and would not let me sit,” says Dr. Tolar, adding that she was not intimated or deterred by the fact that he was a physician and chief of surgery at the hospital. “I was grateful that JoAnn did not let me stay in bed. She made me walk, and I am grateful for that.”
Saying ‘thanks’ is one thing. But sharing gratitude can change people.
Myra Thompson’s struggle with depression began in adolescence. At the age of 16, the high-achieving student says she confided in a counselor that she felt suicidal: “I was put into a psychiatric facility for two weeks. After that, I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone ever again.”
It would be years before she finally got the right diagnosis and treatment — life-changing care she found at Baptist Health. “There are people here waiting to help you and they want you to succeed,” she says. “I am living proof, and for that I will always be grateful.”
Myra was inspired to seek help after seeing her youngest daughter, 16 at the time, advocate for herself. After an incorrect diagnosis elsewhere, she visited Baptist Health, where was diagnosed with ADHD and a proper treatment plan was established. “The change in her is a complete 180.”
In turn, Myra visited Baptist Health, where she says providers — particularly mental health nurse practitioner Trenten Hale — were caring and truly listened. She was diagnosed and began treatment for ADHD, eliminating past medications that were “just Band-Aids.”
“It has changed my entire life,” says Myra, whose gratitude is palpable. “Just knowing that I’m better opens up a whole new world for me, and I’m happy. I’ve never felt that before. It impacts my relationship with everything: my jobs, my family, everything.”
There are people here waiting to help you and they want you to succeed. I am living proof, and for that I will always be grateful.
Michelle Parke says gratitude is at the forefront of her mental health journey.
“When you deal with anxiety and depression, it is often challenging to see what is good in your life vs. what’s going wrong (or could go wrong),” she explains. That’s why she keeps a gratitude journal in which she lists at least three things she’s grateful for every day.
First and foremost, she says, “I am grateful for the tools I’ve been given to navigate my healing journey to be more empowered, and maybe more importantly, knowing it’s OK to ask for help.”
Over the years, Michelle sporadically alternated between counseling and medication to treat depression and anxiety, always with fleeting results. It wasn’t until she sought help at Baptist Health that she began to make sustainable progress through combined treatments — and for that she is grateful.
Living a life of gratitude has enhanced Michelle’s emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing, and she says it’s improved all areas of her life — particularly in her role as a single mom to a 16-year-old daughter with special needs.
“Gratitude is so important because it is a give and take situation, because life goes in cycles,” she says. “Sometimes we are on the receiving end, while other times we are the ones giving. It is all a beautiful way of living.”
Gratitude is so important because it is a give and take situation, because life goes in cycles.
Jennifer Adams has faced a tremendous amount of trauma, but she’s a survivor — and for that she is grateful. “Having survived child abuse, then 11 years of abuse at the hands of my daughter’s father, and being homeless when we escaped, it’s easy to find gratitude,” she says. “It’s all around us, every day.”
Trauma can make you bitter or grateful, Jennifer believes, and she’s chosen the latter: She’s grateful for the tutoring program that helped her get her GED, for the junky old car that carried her to safety, for relatives who provided shelter when she was homeless, for the nonprofit that helped her get back on her feet, and for her husband: “He is my best friend and he loves my daughter as his own. Our marriage is founded on respect and boundaries, something I had never experienced before.”
Due to what she calls the “unfortunate societal stigma” attached to behavioral health, it took years before Jennifer sought help with healing the wounds of her past. But she’s grateful that she’s now healing and living her truth, thanks in large part to the care she’s received at Baptist Health — a place where she immediately sensed a genuine concern for her wellbeing.
“Gratitude can be found everywhere. It’s just a matter of perspective. Most of us have experienced difficulties in life. Disappointment, heartache, grief and trauma are the catalysts that either break us or drive us to overcome and persevere.”
Jennifer says she’s candid about her life story because: “Without knowing the extent of what the Lord has delivered me from, I feel you could never grasp just how grateful I am for being delivered from it. I am most grateful for the peace and joy I have found in placing my trust in Jesus Christ and that He is able to restore everything that was once broken.”
Gratitude can be found everywhere. It’s just a matter of perspective.
The Stolz family is naturally competitive, especially when it comes to athletics. But when 10-year-old Skyler began having outbursts on the softball field, her dad knew something was wrong. “In her mind, if it wasn’t the intended success, she would have an outburst that wouldn’t stop,” says Jason Stolz, describing the behavior as a compulsive need for perfection.
They sought help at Baptist Health, where Skyler was able to begin receiving behavioral health treatment right away. Through a combination of therapy and medication, she’s made great strides — and for that, the Stolz family is grateful.
“We started seeing a huge difference in her behavior,” says Jason, who is especially thankful for his daughter’s therapist and nurse practitioner, both of whom have been “a tremendous help.”
The positive experience with Baptist Health’s behavioral health program has inspired Jason, a youth softball coach, to change his approach to mentoring kids: “I realized I can make a difference for a child in coaching by recognizing personalities and what works with those kids.” He’s also organizing a softball tournament to benefit mental health awareness.
And according to Jason, that’s gratitude in action: “Gratitude is an experience that you can share and give back. There is not a much better feeling than being thankful and showing expressions by giving back.”
Gratitude is an experience that you can share and give back.
After University of Kentucky student George Boyd had a disappointing experience seeking psychiatric care while away at college, he turned to Baptist Health for the compassionate treatment he needed. He began seeing Jennifer Whittington, APRN at Baptist Health, and it’s been “amazing.”
“She’s phenomenal. I’m really thankful for her,” George says of the psychiatric nurse practitioner, whom he sees both in person and via telehealth. “From the moment I walked in the door, she’s been so kind, so understanding. When I expressed I was having a hard time, she showed empathy. I was more than just a number.”
In recent years, George has navigated some tumultuous times, made more difficult by healthcare encounters that left him feeling “lost in the shuffle.” Those past experiences have made him even more grateful for where he is today: “I am now getting the best care at Baptist Health.”
In addition to being grateful for quality mental health care, George is thankful for his parents — and the fact that their relationship has grown even stronger despite the difficulties they’ve faced. “They were always there for me when I needed it.”
These days, George makes it a priority to show his gratitude often, something he hopes will “have a snowball effect, strengthen the community, and foster an environment of care and compassion.”
When I see other people showing gratitude, it gives me some hope.
Everett Murphy has faced a difficult journey since he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer, back in 2016. “It’s been rough,” he admits in recounting his long list of treatments, including a stem cell transplant and two types of chemotherapy. And though he currently is undergoing weekly treatments for a recurrence of cancer, Everett is grateful he’s beaten the odds so far.
“I’m thankful I’m still alive,” says the 74-year-old Baptist Health patient. In recounting all he has to be grateful for, he begins with the little things: still being able to mow his lawn, helping neighbors with odd jobs, fishing on his bass boat.
“I thank God every day for every day I get,” says Everett, adding that prayer has lightened the load during tough times. “I’d hate to think I’d have to go through this and not have anybody to talk to during this time of need.”
But most of all, he’s grateful for the love of family, including a “wonderful wife” who takes care of him, and his 14-year-old grandson. “I spend as much time as I can with him,” says Everett, who is teaching his grandson how to fish — and “thanking God every day” for the opportunity to do so.
I thank God every day for every day I get.
When Bryan O’Brien’s struggle with alcoholism landed him in the Baptist Health Richmond ICU, he says the courtesy and professionalism shown by physicians, nurses and staff was incredible: “Truly, they saved my life!”
Despite never winning any “patient of the day” award for his demeanor, he jokes, the Baptist Health staff exhibited the utmost care, concern and empathy — and for that he is grateful.
Most of all, he’s grateful for loved ones who have stuck by him on his journey from sickness to sobriety. In particular, he’s thankful for his two sisters, who watched over him in the ICU, checked in with his doctors daily, arranged for an intervention, and helped devise a plan for his future.
“They were going above and beyond the day-to-day actions and working for me to have a better life,” says Bryan, who believes “it truly takes a village… and I owe my village a debt of gratitude that can never be paid!”
When Bryan shared his story with Project Gratitude, he was nearing 2,000 days of sobriety. “Each day, I am so grateful for my family and Baptist Health Behavioral Health. They give me the strength and the power to carry on. That is my expression of gratitude!”
I am so grateful for my family and Baptist Health Behavioral Health. They give me the strength and the power to carry on!
