“It was around Mother’s Day and I couldn’t believe there weren’t any flowers yet,” recalls Tracey.
She was surprised to learn that there wasn’t already a group of volunteers lined up to help decorate the outdoor area.
Taking matters into her own hands, Tracey issued a call for volunteers on her social media pages. In just three days, she had a dozen volunteers signed up for a beautification project at the Springfield Cancer Center. Others who couldn’t plant that day donated more than a dozen flats of flowers and other supplies.
“I know some great people in the community,” says Tackett a former board member of the American Cancer Society.
In just over two hours on Saturday, May 18, Tackett’s team transformed the healing garden. It now boasts dozens of blooms as well as hanging baskets and two elaborate fairy gardens for patients receiving treatment to enjoy.
“These volunteers took time out of their busy schedules to go buy flats of flowers and plant these in our healing garden area. Several of the volunteers even designed fairy gardens to help in the healing process by giving patients a fun land to look at during their treatments,” says Pilar Gonzalez-Mock, RN, MS, Oncology Service Line Leader/Director of Springfield Regional Medical Center Infusion and PICC Services.
“Many of the patients have enjoyed the beautiful flowers and arrangements. It’s amazing that one person had this thoughtful idea to organize and get this done,” Gonzalez-Mock said. “We are grateful to Tracey and the volunteers for their precious thought and service to others.”
Tackett hopes to keep the blooms going by returning with volunteers to spruce up the garden in the fall with a new batch of seasonal plants.
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