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An enjoyable Evening Under the Stars
September 10, 2011
By Mary Pechar
features@lstribune.net
The Truman Medical Center Lakewood Auxiliary held its sixth annual Evening Under the Stars on Aug. 27. Auxiliary President Helen Ferguson chaired the event, which this year was to benefit the TMC Building fund – specifically the new Family Birthing Center. A Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppy was a highlight of the live auction.
While there are still some outstanding donations to be tabulated, the preliminary results far exceed last year with $44,000 to date.
Ferguson, who is stepping down as chair of the event, issued a challenge to the Auxiliary.
“I hope someone in our Auxiliary picks up where I left off,” she said. “It is a wonderful event for such a worthy cause.”
TMC Director of Obstetrics, Judy Hendrix, was delighted to give event guests a tour of one of the new Family Birthing Center rooms.
“So many mothers shop for the hospital to deliver their baby. Many times they will receive all of their pre-natal support here at TMC, but choose another hospital for delivery,” Hendrix said. “Once the Center opens, as a new mom comes in for her positive pregnancy test, we bring her on a tour of the facility. We are so excited to have the latest and greatest technology and family environment.”
While there will be a regular labor and delivery bed in the room for that phase of the birthing process, a Murphy bed will replace it and allow the family easy access to mom and their new addition.
John Bluford III, president and CEO of Truman Medical Centers, and Charlie Shields, chief operating officer, Truman Medical Center-Lakewood, were as entranced with the Corgi as the crowd.
“This event is put on by our wonderful TMC Lakewood Ladies Auxiliary with the proceeds going to our building fund,” Shields said. “We will open a brand new Labor Family Birthplace mid fall with 19 labor, delivery, recovery, post partum rooms. So mom gives birth, the baby stays and they recover in the same room. It is a great environment, and I would pit those rooms against any in the country. They are absolutely gorgeous. Our goal is that every baby gets a great start. We will deliver 1,500 babies in the next year so it is a big part of our organization, it’s what we do and the fact that we have such a great Auxiliary to help us out with it is wonderful.”
Mary Pechar can be reached at 816-582-5890.
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