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A dream in the making for more than 10 years, a garden perched on top of the roof adjacent to Radiation Oncology and Inpatient Treatment Unit will finally open at Harrison Medical Center later this summer. The Les & Betty Krueger Family Healing Garden will combine elements of nature, art and technology to bring hope to patients and their families during their time at Harrison.
Gary Hagen and his wife, Judie, were one of the families who spent extended time at the hospital after Gary was diagnosed with acute leukemia.
"It became our home away from home," says Judie, who is extremely grateful for everything the hospital staff did for her and Gary during their stays there. "Through the hardest time in our lives, we were surrounded by caring people who became like family."
So when she was later asked by Harrison Medical Center Foundation to be part of the planning committee for the healing garden, Judie was happy to speak on behalf of the patients and families who would reap the benefits of a garden.
Judie recalls how much Gary yearned for a place he could go to escape from his sterile hospital room, get a breath of fresh air and feel "normal" for a few precious moments.
"The two times we were able to take him outside he was like a child receiving a gift," she shares.
But she also remembers how inconvenient it was to take Gary outside because it involved a trip through the hospital lobby. Now all patients will be able to enjoy the gift of an easily accessible outdoor haven.
The healing garden at Harrison will feature gathering spaces for families, working areas for hospital therapies, an inspirational Tree of Hope sculpture and an interactive kiosk where family, friends and community members can share words of encouragement and hope.
Judie is excited about what the garden will offer patients and their loved ones.
"Being able to visit with family in the garden will be more like sitting out on the deck at home than being at a hospital," she says. "And the kiosk is a wonderful tool that will serve as a source of hope and bring healing to both the givers and receivers."
Numerous studies cite the positive impact of gardens on patients and they are widely recognized as a valuable asset to patient well-being within the medical profession. Unfortunately, they are not currently subsidized by health care funding, so creating and maintaining a healing garden requires the efforts of an entire community. Generous gifts from Les and Betty Krueger and other donors have given the garden its roots, but future enhancements and upkeep will take the support of many others.
"The garden is a legacy that will carry on from month to month and year to year, bringing hope to patients," says Judie, who encourages others to consider a donation in honor of their loved ones and in gratitude for the care they received at the hospital.
How You Can Help
Every gift to Harrison Medical Center Foundation will help give hope a place to grow in the Les & Betty Krueger Family Healing Garden. Learn how a donation from your estate can help. Please contact Stephanie Cline at 360-744-6760 or stephanie.cline@harrisonmedical.org for more information.
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The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For legal or tax advice, please consult an attorney. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical purposes only and are subject to change. References to estate and income taxes apply to federal taxes only. State income/estate taxes or state law may impact your results.
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