Of Kindness and Kin Local Family Shares Legacy of Generosity

St. Luke’s Wood River has cared for nearly every branch of the Luckman-Logan family tree. Grandparents, Alison and Jim Luckman, son and daughter-in-law, Kristy and Tom Logan, and their young children, Gracie and Robert James Logan each have a story to tell. For Alison, a stroke, addressed so quickly and expertly, now it’s as if it never happened. For Jim, cardiac complications that could have been compromising, have had few long-term effects. For Kristy and Tom, their two beautiful children, both born at St. Luke’s Wood River, were shown the most gracious, compassionate care imaginable.

“You know, we wouldn’t live here if it weren’t for the hospital,” Alison says confidently. And, likewise, St. Luke’s Wood River, as it stands today, would not be here without the generosity of the community and families like the Luckmans and Logans. Their kindness is deeply woven into the quality of care they experience.

Around every corner, the hospital is a reflection of the kindness of the community. For the Luckman-Logan family, superior emergency services and mother-baby care were essential. Rarely does a critical access emergency room provide 24/7 board certified emergency physicians and some of the most advanced medical technology available. The premier accommodations of the Mother-Baby Unit are a cut above because of community generosity, including the rocking chairs in each room. The rockers themselves—a gift from the Luckmans and Kristy’s parents, Sheril and Robert Freedman—were inspired by baby Gracie, three years ago.

Nowadays, Gracie proudly dotes on her baby brother. The family credits their loving brother-sister dynamic to careful socialization introduced by St. Luke’s Wood River Mother-Baby nurse, Molly Fox. One day after RJ was born, Molly offered to watch the baby while Kristy and Gracie enjoyed quality time together. When Molly sensed the time was right, she placed baby RJ between Kristy and Gracie. That Molly was the one to help bridge the bond between new siblings deeply moved the family.

“Gracie has never been jealous of RJ,” Kristy says. “She always points to him saying, ‘that’s my brother, isn’t he so cute?’ I know the way Molly introduced RJ and Gracie positively shaped their relationship.”

Within every story, the compassion of the St. Luke’s Wood River staff shines bright. When Jim and Alison had their respective trips to the emergency department, the staff diligently cared for both parties. “The staff not only address the immediate physical needs of the patient, they address the emotional needs of the whole family,” Alison says.

This sentiment rings true for Tom and Kristy, too. “The entire nursing staff in the Mother-Baby Unit is phenomenal,” Kristy says. “They did everything conceivable to ensure all of us: my parents, husband, daughter, newborn, and I, were all well, at all times, physically and mentally.”

The quality of care the family has received at St. Luke’s Wood River is paramount. For each generation, the life so enjoyed in the Wood River Valley is possible because of quality healthcare, and quality healthcare is possible because of the kindness of the community.