Sometimes being a patient in the hospital can mean missing out on special family occasions.

But whenever possible, many Stony Brook Medicine staff members take it upon themselves to go above and beyond to ensure that illnesses don’t interrupt what’s really important in our patients’ lives. Here are just two of many stories.

At Stony Brook Medicine, even when your life’s on hold for medical reasons, good things can still happen.

Last April, a patient who was awaiting a bone marrow transplant wasn’t going to be able to attend her son’s wedding in Puerto Rico. To ensure she could participate in the festivities anyway, the Bone Marrow Transplant staff arranged a ceremony and reception for the family.

Chef John Mastacciuola and the hospital food service team created a beautiful wedding event complete with ‘champagne’ toasts, an artful cake to match the bride’s dress, and a dinner buffet.

And this past June, Stony Brook also helped a terminally ill mother who could not witness her daughter’s high school graduation. Using their own money and time, Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) staff members coordinated a graduation, complete with decorations and refreshments, and arranged for the school’s principal to perform a bedside diploma ceremony with the daughter right at her mother’s side.

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