From stitches to neuroscience: One family’s link to Sharp

Mary Alice and Ron Brady’s experience with Sharp Grossmont Hospital began the same way it has for many East County families.

“We’re a blended family with eight kids, so there were lots of trips to the emergency room,” recalls Mary Alice. “Sometimes we would have a two-for-one visit — one kid would be getting stitches while another was getting theirs taken out.”

Doing good, together

As East County residents raising a large family and running a growing business in the 1980s, Ron and Mary Alice appreciated having quality health care close to home. Over time, their connection to Sharp Grossmont grew stronger, and Mary Alice began volunteering on event committees to raise funds for the hospital.

Her generous spirit extended beyond the giving of her time. As their business grew, the Bradys supported causes close to their hearts, most notably children’s programs and health care. They were driven by a desire to improve and strengthen their community.

As the years passed, their commitment to investing in East County-based programs and services remained strong. Whether they were working with their grandchildren to stuff duffel bags with goods for foster children, supporting the renovation of a teen center, or making a significant donation to take Sharp Grossmont’s central energy plant off the electrical grid, Ron and Mary Alice were always thinking about the next generation.

Full circle care

Their most recent gift to Sharp Grossmont was no exception. A planned gift from the Brady Family Foundation helped open the doors of the Ron and Mary Alice Brady Neuroscience Clinic in July 2025. Located just above the Sharp Grossmont Hospital for Neuroscience, the clinic combines inpatient and outpatient neurological care under one roof, providing a seamless experience for patients.

“The Brady Neuroscience Clinic truly closes the loop,” explains Giang Huynh, MSN, RN, the director of neuroscience services. “It’s not just a clinic — it’s part of a unified, patient-centered model of care.”

This means that a patient recovering from a stroke, seizure or another neurological injury may begin their treatment in the intensive care or acute rehab unit downstairs — and return to the same, familiar space upstairs for follow-up care, often seeing the same care providers.

That continuity can bring tremendous comfort to those facing the uncertainty of a neurological diagnosis or navigating a complex recovery. Patients — and their loved ones — find reassurance in returning to a place filled with people who already know them and their story.

“Seeing a familiar face can make a world of difference,” says Giang. “It builds trust, reduces fear and helps people feel cared for in every sense of the word. And because we’re right above the neuroscience hospital, patients receive cutting-edge care and continuity in the same place.”

Mary Alice sees it the same way. “How wonderful it is to have the only facility in the area that can treat everything for neuroscience in one place,” she says. “It is such a gift for our community.”

Always looking forward

In fact, it was many gifts from the community that helped make the clinic possible. More than 2,000 donors donated over $16 million to make the clinic a reality, including a $1.5 million estate gift from the Brady Family Foundation.

And while the Bradys’ gift is from the entire family, it also honors Ron, who passed away in 2021. A passionate supporter of innovation and health care, Ron was committed to ensuring that families like his would always have access to excellent care. “I know Ron would have wanted to make this gift, too,” says Mary Alice.

Rene Hitt, secretary of Brady Family Foundation and long-time family friend, agrees. “Ron wanted to make sure that there would always be someone here to take care of his family,” she says. “He was a big believer in cutting-edge medicine — and that really describes neuroscience.”

“We’re all here to help each other.”

Yet the impact of the Bradys’ generosity extends beyond the naming of the neuroscience clinic. Ron and Mary Alice’s true legacy is their desire to be part of a community coming together to make the world a better place — and they hope that they have inspired others to do the same.

“We’re all here to help each other,” says Mary Alice. “Everyone can be a part of making a difference. It can begin in small ways — and then it grows. There’s always something you can do.”

For Mary Alice, supporting the hospital is a way of giving back to a place that has always shown up for her family. “Sharp Grossmont has been there for us over the years,” she says. “Our giving is in appreciation for them.”

Fittingly, their gift will support access to quality care for East County families for generations to come — whether it’s stitches in the emergency department or state-of-the-art, compassionate care in the Ron and Mary Alice Brady Neuroscience Clinic.

Learn more about the Sharp Grossmont Hospital Foundation; get the latest health and wellness news, trends and patient stories from Sharp Health News; and subscribe to our weekly newsletter by clicking the "Sign up" link below.