Tribute to Mary Lou


Many of you had been praying for my dear coworker Mary Lou. Surrounded by her loved ones, she passed away this morning after a sudden recent decline in her health. 

I had the privilege to work with Mary Lou for 14 years at Shriners but had gotten much closer over the past 6 months as we battled cancer together. She would often reach out to me to check on how I was doing, sometimes while she herself was in the hospital fighting. Mary Lou was always thinking about others in the midst of her own suffering. She would give me tips on managing side-effects, medical stuff I didn’t understand, and even what beanies worked well after I lost my hair!  Mary Lou was one of the strongest women I knew, persevering in the midst of so many setbacks. She was just telling me last week how she had just beat covid and was hoping to finally go to transplant by the end of the month.

In January, Mary Lou had said “Faith and trust in God got me through the first one and I am sure this one....I only pray to travel this journey, whatever the outcome, with faith, grace, quality and dignity.  I accept whatever the outcome and I am thankful for having the past 4 years with great quality.” 

Mary Lou fought the good fight of faith til the end, impacted many lives not only as a nurse but just by who she was, and will be missed by so many of us. Please pray for her family during this difficult time and may her memory live on in the way we love others as she did.

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