Donor Stories
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These are the stories of the generous donors that make what we do possible!
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A gift of comfort for our courageous caregivers
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit greater Bridgeport, Bridgeport Hospital staff sprang into action, taking care of people suffering from a virus the world had never seen. What little was known about this virus was that it was very contagious, and some people became extremely ill from it. Those in its path were fearful of bringing…
Passing along the ‘American Dream’ to those in need
John and Ethel Kashulon, husband and wife and longtime residents of Bridgeport, were children of Eastern Europeanimmigrants who came to the United States seeking the ‘American Dream.’ John moved to Bridgeport during the early 1930s to find work among the city’s bustling industry. Ethel was born and raised in Bridgeport. She graduated from Saints Cyril…
An ambassador of hope helps the show go on for Norma Pfriem Breast Center
Elise Bucknall, a Fairfield resident for almost 15 years, had not heard of the Norma Pfriem Breast Center until her close friend and President’s Council member Lynne Taikowski invited her to the center’s annual Rose of Hope luncheon in 2018. “I couldn’t believe that I never knew about this incredible organization, given how much they…
Treating minds and changing lives
Quality mental health services are critical to people struggling for access to limited resources. Thanks to Bridgeport Hospital’s REACH Program, patients in Fairfield County are able to receive life-altering care. “We couldn’t be offering this type of program without the support we receive from the community,” said Charles Morgan, MD, chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral…
A legacy in memory of a life lost too soon
A number of hospital protocols related to perinatal loss have evolved from the work of the Joseph Keane Fund, including the placement of a lily magnet on the doorframe of patients’ rooms who experience the loss of a baby so that hospital staff can immediately recognize and be sensitive to the situation. They decided to…
Never too young to give back
Meghan McCloat, 28, and Brooke Bento, 30, may be young, but they are already leaving their mark on the world of charitable giving. Considered veterans of the Norma Pfriem Breast Center President’s Council, they joined at the tender ages of 25 and 24, respectively. Both jumped immediately into fundraising for the Center. Meghan co-chairs Pink…
Friends of Pediatrics
For more than 125 years, the Friends of Pediatrics has been changing the way children and infants are cared for at Bridgeport Hospital. Founded in 1893 as the “Woman’s Staff for Children’s Ward at Bridgeport Hospital,” the organization began when a small group of local women came together with the mission to create a space…
Passion to change health care
Personal challenges, life-changing opportunities spark passion to change health care During her decade at Bridgeport Hospital, Gina Calder has met many patients, and heard stories both heartbreaking and inspiring. She remembers one young woman in particular: a patient at Bridgeport Hospital’s Primary Care Center who wanted to attend Yale University. “Academically, she could have done…
The gift of time
“What’s a nice retired guy like you doing in an Emergency Department like this?” is a conversation starter that Bob Kilton has probably heard more times than he would care to admit, but one of which he never grows weary. You know just by the way he smiles, a slight grin that sets of a…