ALTON - Gay Bryant was a true advocate for health care. At one time she served on all three Alton Memorial Hospital boards concurrently. She served on the AMH board for more than 20 years and stayed on the Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation and White Cross Auxiliary boards until her death on July 24, 2016.
In her final days, Gay was a patient in the hospital’s Transitional Care Unit (TCU), Gay saw a need for improvements, with the vision of updating the rooms similar to those in the Duncan Wing.
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After Gay’s passing, the Foundation received numerous donations in her memory. These funds are being used to furnish the Gay Bryant Family Room, a space where TCU patients and visitors can gather.
Jaime Dwiggins is a recreational therapist in TCU, and is appreciative of the new look.
“This room gives our patients and their families an opportunity to get away from the typical hospital setting/patient room atmosphere so they can relax, socialize, and be entertained with our new big screen television, games, books, desktop computer and more,” Jaime says. “This opportunity for recreation therapy to utilize this room will assist in easing tension and anxiety for patients as well as serving as a mental, physical, emotional timeout away from all the hustle and bustle of the daily hospital routine. Some people look at recreation therapy as playing games or having a party, but that’s just the medium used to achieve our goal.”
The entire unit has been freshly painted and outfitted with new lighting and flat screen televisions donated by the White Cross Auxiliary. Soon the Pictures with Purpose Project will enhance the walls with new artwork.
“We are grateful to the Bryant family for the generous donation to refurbish TCU’s living room,” said Sue Walker, manager of TCU. “The Gay Bryant Family Room is now described as ‘charming.’ And Jaime is a talented, attentive recreational therapist. She plays a critical role in the rehabilitation of our patients.”
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