One morning, as Dulce’s mother, Monica, watched her daughter wake up, she noticed something alarming—Dulce’s eyes were unexpectedly crossed, and she was complaining of double vision and a painful sensitivity to light.
“This was concerning for us,” said Monica, her voice tinged with worry. “We recalled that about two weeks ago, she experienced vomiting every morning for a week. We rushed her to the hospital, praying they could help.”
At 16 years old, Nayeli Diaz was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. Nayeli went from being a normal teenager who enjoyed activities with her friends to a teenager with metastatic cancer, embarrassed to step outside with a colostomy bag. After some difficult months of fighting off the metastatic cancer with treatment and trips in and out of the children’s hospital, an obstruction sent her to the emergency room and resulted in the removal of the largest and only tumor left in her body.
At Grace Medical Home, we understand the profound impact mental health has on overall well-being. Our mission is to continuously support and empower our patients, especially the youngest ones, through innovative and compassionate care. Among our various initiatives, we are particularly proud of our art classes designed to nurture creativity, self-expression, and emotional resilience in our pediatric patients.
In June, we held a series of enriching art classes aimed at fostering emotional awareness and coping skills. These sessions provided a safe and encouraging space for children to explore their feelings and express themselves through different artistic techniques.
Lorenza Rodriguez had suffered with trigeminal neuralgia for over 20 years. Trigeminal Neuralgia is a severely painful condition of the facial nerve which spreads across the cheeks, jaw, lips, and nose. It causes electrical shock type of pain with talking, eating, or brushing your teeth; even the wind or AC blowing on your face is painful. It can be so bad that there are reported suicides due to this excruciatingly painful condition.
Inside the walls of Grace Medical Home, it’s a given that you will always get top-notch medical care by some of the best providers in the area. This means they will address all your health needs thoroughly—from reviewing your medical history, explaining lab results in depth, setting up specialist appointments, and even scheduling in-house mental health counseling. But that’s only ONE kind of care you’ll find at Grace.
Carlene first came to Grace Medical Home in 2011 for regular checkups due to severe bronchitis triggered by allergies and lower back pain. During a routine checkup, her primary care provider, Michelle Cornell, APRN, discussed Carlene’s elevated blood sugar, A1c and weight gain. Her elevated A1c and weight gain placed her in the prediabetic stage. Michelle provided a list of resources to help reduce Carlene’s diabetic risk.
My name is Joselyn and I am a Medical Assistant here at Grace Medical Home.
I first became part of the Grace family as a pediatric patient. At the age of 16, I was admitted to the hospital and required an immediate blood transfusion. After being hospitalized for two weeks, they finally sent me home, but I had to follow up with a physician. At the time, I did not qualify for any insurance.
“They helped me so much when I needed it most.” Georgette Pinango held back tears when explaining how ill she was when she first became a Grace Medical Home patient several years ago. “I was really ill. I needed a lot of imaging, sonograms, my kidneys were failing. And I did not have insurance. Just one of the tests was a couple thousand dollars. I don’t know what I would have done without Grace,” she said.
Ann-Marie Cools, Grace’s new Community Nutritionist, first learned about the job opening from her sister, Samantha Cools Bermudez, our staff attorney with Medical Legal Partnership. “She spoke so highly of her experience with the Grace team and patients, that I was eager to apply,” recalls Ann-Marie. “It was divine timing as I had just moved back to Orlando.”
Ann-Marie’s interest in nutrition developed at a young age due to her severe allergies. “I remember how much time and energy it took for my parents to find nutritious foods and therapies that helped alleviate my ailments,” shared Ann-Marie. “Thankfully, I come from a family of great cooks who like to experiment with a variety of ingredients.”
While studying dietetics and nutrition at Florida International University, she learned there are a multitude of ways to create a balanced lifestyle and that “one size does not fit all.” “I began to appreciate how healthy food choices make a huge impact on people’s lives,” Ann-Marie said.
“As a nutritionist/dietitian, we’re often labelled as the ‘food police,’” Ann-Marie said. “Many think our food preferences are boiled chicken, carrots and salad - all bland and unappealing. Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring or bland. It’s a great way to experiment with fresh ingredients and different flavors.”
“What I love most about nutrition is being able to spread messages that inspire people to feel as good as they can through food, and how to achieve that in a sustainable way,” Ann-Marie concluded.
It’s always bittersweet when we say goodbye to patients as they leave Grace once they obtain insurance, but that is our goal! Edwin Amesty, a Venezuelan native, was referred to Grace by Dr. Phillips High School’s nurse when looking for care for his daughter with special needs.
“From day one – the very first moment we arrived – it was special,” said Edwin. “We knew right away that everything was going to be much better. We took a deep breath. We finally found our place.”
Their entire family became patients at Grace – Edwin, his wife and his daughter.
They have insurance options now along with the tools needed to determine which option is best for the entire family.
“What I dreamed of from the very beginning – if we ever somehow make some money, we will make a big donation,” Edwin shared. “The work you do is wonderful and everybody who comes here feels this way. We’ll miss you all.”
Thank you, Amesty family, for entrusting Grace with your care.
Volunteer Navigator, Dan Jeffers, interacts with patients at Grace.
Nearly every Wednesday, following devotion at Grace, shouts of “Dan The Man” echo throughout the Welcome Room. Staff and visitors alike recognize and thank a mainstay at Grace – Volunteer Navigator, Dan Jeffers, affectionately known as “Dan The Man.”
Upon retirement from a 35-year career in medical sales, Dan was looking for a volunteer opportunity to serve others. He learned about Grace from Trustee Rick Fletcher’s daughter, Arden Magee, in October 2019 and he has been volunteering consistently ever since.
Though his official volunteer role is as a Navigator, cheerfully escorting patients to the appropriate area in our facility, he willingly wears many hats. From serving as a “roadie” assisting fellow volunteer, Dr. John Fleming, by setting up Dr. Fleming’s keyboard on days he provides musical accompaniment, to serving as joke translator for Pastor Omar, part-time baby rocker and upstairs coffee maker, he lends a hand wherever and whenever he is needed. “I really enjoy making our patients smile or laugh, especially the little ones,” said Dan.
Dan shared, “This place is such a soothing place. I am amazed at the incredible compassion, respect, and heart that the entire staff show towards our patients. Grace is an incredible community, everyone in the building conveys God’s positive spirit. I have never experienced a kinder, more positive environment than Grace’s.”
If you are here on Wednesday mornings, join in our celebration and appreciation of Dan The Man.
Foot pain initially brought Valter to Grace in 2017.
Valter remembers, “When I first came (to Grace) with Miss Kit (former Patient Registration volunteer), after I did the paperwork, I said ‘Ok, bye,’ and extended my hand. Miss Kit looked at me and said ‘We don’t shake hands here – we hug people.’” And then she gave him a big hug. “I have this in my mind forever,” Valter said with a big smile on his face.
First Presbyterian Church of Orlando is a founding partner of Grace Medical Home’s mission. The church consistently supports Grace’s work to ensure that no one misses the grace of God. And while their most recent donation is the most substantial gift to date, the story behind is a powerful illustration of how one small, generous gesture and God’s perfect timing can spark a movement.
