The Sturgeon Community Hospital has a newly refreshed patient family lounge, thanks to the McCoy Family Foundation.
Larry McCoy was born in Edmonton in 1917. A business and a family man, he raised seven children and 21 grandchildren in the Capital City.
“He taught each one of us the importance of working hard, in order to be able to truly relax and enjoy time at the lake,” says Paula Karaki, one of his granddaughters. “He taught us to appreciate the water and the sense of relaxation it provided.”
When Larry needed medical care, the Sturgeon Community Hospital provided him and his family with an outstanding experience.
“Our grandfather was fortunate to receive exceptional end-of-life care at the Sturgeon Community Hospital,” says Paula. “After 95 years there were a lot people who were impacted by his life. The impact that he had resulted in many people needing to come together to process his passing. We appreciated the staff and their willingness to support our families’ needs during this difficult time. We spent many days and nights together sitting vigil around his bed sharing stories, laughing, crying, and remembering a man who had done and experienced so much.”
The McCoy family wanted to help the Sturgeon Community Hospital in their efforts to provide this necessary comforting experience for other families, so they created the McCoy Family Room.
“We wanted to provide families with a special space to gather and spend time during difficult times of healing or death,” Paula explains. “We wanted to contribute to something that we were personally tied to. The Sturgeon Hospital foundation did an amazing job with the room décor with the understanding that within the room’s walls there is hope. Individuals will feel compelled to reflect and through that reflection, heal.”
Two of the photos in the room are calming pictures of the lake Larry and his family enjoyed together.
“The McCoy Family Foundation is very humbled by its ability to contribute to its community,” concludes Paula. “We also want to draw attention to the fact that seniors have an important role in our communities and by supporting medicine departments within hospitals, we can support the work the hospital does in caring for a valuable resource. We want to thank the Sturgeon Hospital Foundation for its assistance in making this reflection room a reality.”
