COLUMBIA, Tenn. — The Maury Regional Health Care Foundation recognized two families who have created programs to benefit young patients at Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) during a recent Board of Directors meeting.
Rick and Diane Bolton created Tootsie’s Bears, which to date has raised more than $10,000 to purchase 1,168 stuffed animals for pediatric patients, in memory of their daughter Mary Margaret, or “Tootsie,” who passed away in 2017. Tootsie had a favorite teddy bear that brought her comfort during her time in the hospital. After she passed, her parents and family members wanted to ensure all children at MRMC have their own stuffed animals to provide them comfort.
Cord and Sondra Martin created Parker’s Project in honor of their son Parker, who was born prematurely and spent 10 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at MRMC. The Martins, both educators, know the importance of reading to children at an early age and wanted to provide books for all NICU families. They have raised $19,000 over the past three years and have purchased 618 books to date.
“We are very thankful to the Boltons and Martins for giving back to Maury Regional Medical Center,” said Foundation Executive Director Joe Kilgore. “Their generous efforts are truly making a positive impact in the lives of our patients and their families.”
Pictured (l-r) are Rick Bolton, Diane Bolton, Foundation Chairman Edward Moore, Sondra Martin and Cord Martin.