A memorable birthday for a Sharp Chula Vista patient

Michael Leary has spent the past four years living at Birch Patrick Skilled Nursing Facility at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. However, he had one special wish on his 74th birthday — to spend it at home.

Michael was born with cerebral palsy, which limits his movements and posture. Despite that, he has lived an active and fulfilling life, enjoying watching baseball, football and classic movies; delivering newspapers; and even working at a ranch, where he grew to love horses.

Because of that connection, horses were the theme of the ambulance that came to pick him up for his special birthday trip home.

“When we first started asking about the ability to bring Michael home for his birthday, and they said yes, it was so exciting for both of us,” says Carol Leary, Michael’s sister. “We both got really happy for all of us. It’s wonderful.”

The special trip home for his birthday was coordinated through American Medical Response’s (AMR) Sentimental Journey program, which provides free transportation for patients on hospice service. As part of the program, an AMR ambulance picks up patients from their care facility or home and transports them to visit a place of their choosing that they can no longer access on their own.

Compassionate care beyond Sharp’s walls

AMR, Sharp HospiceCare and Sharp Chula Vista helped organize Michael’s day trip, which was his second visit to Carol’s house in the past four years. When he arrived home, his family, friends and favorite foods — sloppy Joes, potato salad and birthday cake — awaited him.

“It’s an honor for our team to help celebrate Michael in such a meaningful way,” says Melendre Aquino, RN, MSN, manager of Birch Patrick Skilled Nursing Facility at Sharp Chula Vista. “Helping the AMR team help Michael celebrate his birthday in a way that rekindles his love for horses is a joy and a privilege for all of us. We honor and promote this meaningful experience as the bedrock of the care we provide at Sharp Chula Vista to each and every patient.”

Organizing the trip took thoughtful coordination by Michael’s dedicated team of caregivers at Sharp Chula Vista. His social worker, Desiree Orozco, MSW, spent two months working closely with the teams at Sharp HospiceCare and AMR to ensure the day would be both special and safe for Michael.

“It’s an amazing thing that we get to do for him,” Orozco says. “It reminds me why I’m here and why we work with our team to honor our patients’ self-determination and advocate for them to live their best lives.”

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