Sometimes the most meaningful gifts aren’t measured in dollars.
They’re measured in the lives they change.
When Cynthie Preston learned she needed an anterior hip replacement, she also learned St. Luke Community Healthcare didn’t have the specialized surgical table required to perform the procedure. She could have traveled elsewhere for surgery. Instead, she saw an opportunity to fill a need that would benefit others long after her own recovery.
With the support of family and friends, Cynthie and her husband Jay, and in-laws, Beth and Jay. Sr. helped raise funds and partnered with the St. Luke Community Healthcare Board to purchase the specialized surgical table. Together, they made an investment that continues to benefit patients throughout the Mission Valley.
Cynthie became the first patient to undergo surgery using the new table, but the impact didn’t end there.
Following surgery, she recovered through St. Luke’s Swing Bed Program, where she received physical therapy, nursing care, and the confidence she needed to return to a home with 17 stairs.
“The nurses were wonderful, the food was amazing, and Bruce in physical therapy kept me moving,” Cynthie recalled. “It was kind of like a spa retreat. I was almost sorry to go home.”
Today, patients continue to benefit from that same investment, receiving advanced joint replacement procedures without having to travel outside the valley.
St. Luke’s commitment to exceptional care extends beyond talented physicians and dedicated caregivers. It includes ensuring patients have access to advanced technology and the resources needed to receive high-quality care close to home. Partnerships between generous community members and the St. Luke Foundation make those investments possible.
Every gift tells a story.
Sometimes it begins with a patient searching for relief.
Sometimes it begins with neighbors coming together around a shared vision.
And sometimes it becomes a legacy that improves the lives of people we’ll never meet.
If you’d like to learn more about projects that expand access to exceptional healthcare, or how you can support future investments at St. Luke Community Healthcare, visit www.stlukehealthcare.org/philanthropy. Together, we’re investing in the people, technology, and programs that keep exceptional healthcare close to home.
Any content, resident submissions, guest columns, advertisements, and advertorials are not necessarily endorsed by or represent the views of Best Version Media LLC (BVM) or any municipality, homeowners associations, businesses, or organizations that this publication serves. BVM is not responsible for the reliability, suitability, or timeliness of any content submitted, inclusive of materials generated or composed through artificial intelligence (AI). All content submitted is done so at the sole discretion of the submitting party.
