Message from the President

As a home health aide for Lakeland Homecare, her job takes her into the homes of many of our friends and neighbors who are sick and need help. She loves her job and loves her patients. She works hard to make sure they get everything they need.

She was shocked and afraid when the police pulled up. They were responding to a complaint by her patient that she had stolen a valuable piece of jewelry. She knew she was innocent, but her patient had still accused her of a crime and law enforcement was on the scene to investigate.

Faith Patrick told the police her side of the story. Her patient had brought up the missing brooch several times over the last several months. It contained stones given to her by her husband and children and was obviously precious.

As the police searched Faith's car, they opened the glove box and Faith saw something that she had forgotten to tell the police about. It was a small prayer book. In that little book, Faith made a habit of writing down the prayers she offered on behalf of her patients.

With the police looking over her shoulder, Faith thumbed through the pages until she found the entry where she wrote down the prayer she offered about her patient's loss and her request that the valuable brooch would be found.

Now that entry in her prayer book was not enough to prove innocence, but it certainly suggests that Faith was caring for her patient with all her heart and soul. And I suspect it was an obvious nudge to the police that a lost piece of jewelry was more likely than a theft.

An hour later the police called. They informed Faith that they had found the lost brooch in the patient's home.

As Faith told me her story, she described her emotion at that moment. It wasn't one of anger, or blame, although that would be very understandable. It was joy and forgiveness. After all, her prayer for her patient had been answered.

There is more to the story. Faith's managers, doing their best to look out for her, suggested that she should probably not go back to that home and continue caring for that patient. Faith was willing to go but complied with the decision.

When her replacement showed up at the door, the patient refused the care. She wanted to be cared for by her own home health aide, Faith. She also wanted to apologize.

Faith is back caring for the elderly patient. I am so grateful that she has put her patient first under some of the toughest circumstances I can imagine. And I’m thankful that Joe Effa and Mary Harris have shared this story with me. We are all so blessed that people like Faith Patrick are members of our Lakeland family.

If you would like to read more of Message from the President, click here