SJF Website Donor Stories

Meet some of our amazing donors!

St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center has a rich 126-plus year history with benefactors at its core.

There are countless ways to support the mission of St. Joseph's, and gifts in any amount can make a difference! Contact St. Joseph's Foundation at 602.406.1038 to learn how you can make a personalized donation that fits your philanthropic goals. We'd love to welcome you to the St. Joseph's family!

Below are stories about people in our community who have crossed paths with St. Joseph's in one way or another and became part of our donor family. If you know someone who should be featured here, please don't hestiate to pass their story on by emailing us or calling the foundation at 602.406.1038.

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Susan Miele is a cancer survivor and community advocate

Three cheers for three-time cancer survivor and new St. Joseph's Board Member Susan Miele for her outstanding efforts to raise funds for the Interventional Pulmonology program at St. Joseph's through the Forest Highlands Charity Golf Tournament! Susan and her husband, Arthur, have hosted this event for the second year in a row, raising more than $100,000 over last year's total.

Susan joined St. Joseph’s Board of Directors in July, bringing a wealth of experience with her. She has been a community advocate as long as she can remember, always volunteering and raising money to support care benefiting people in need.

 

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Dbacks step up to bat for nurses

St. Joseph's Foundation is grateful to be named a Ken Kendricks Grand Slam Grant recipient in 2022! The $100,000 grant from the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation supports the creation of Nursing Resilience Rooms at St. Joseph's, providing an immersive space for nurses to rejuvenate their spirit and revive aching muscles.

Thank you to the Dbacks for teaming up with St. Joseph’s to make a difference in nurses’ lives!

 

 

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Tim and Pam Drexler's values align with hospital mission

During the 2022 fiscal year, St. Joseph’s Foundation was blessed with a $1-million gift from Tim and Pam Drexler, of Chandler, to support emergency room renovations at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. The couple chose to donate to the hospital because they knew St. Joseph’s was rooted by the mission to provide compassionate care for all who seek it, which aligned with their philanthropic values.

“We know we are blessed to have the means to give back to the community,” says Tim. “It’s a great feeling to know that we’re helping others by supporting the hospital.”

 

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The Arizona Women’s Board supports kidney transplants  

The Arizona Women's Board has generously supported the kidney transplant program at St. Joseph's Norton Institute since 2018, donating a total of $200,000 over the past four years, including $50,000 in grant monies received in early 2022.

This most recent grant supports the addition of an outreach coordinator to the Norton kidney transplant program, with a goal of researching and educating more patients and families about the living organ donor program, while emphasizing a growing need for living organ donations—all of which are critical to meet the ever-expanding population of patients suffering end-stage renal disease. 

 

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Mike Spradlin organizes first annual 'Breath Day' golf tournament

Lung transplant recipient Mike Spradlin and his partner Sara Martz were so grateful for the care he received from the Norton Thoracic Institute that they organized the first annual 'Breath Day' golf tournament one year after Mike’s operation to raise money to offset costs for other patients undergoing the same procedure in the future. The tournament, hosted in Fruita, Colo., raised nearly $25,000 by bringing the couple’s family and friends together for golf and barbecue favorites.

“We saw firsthand just how quickly the expenses not covered by insurance can add up,” Mike says, “so we hope to raise money that will relieve some of the financial burden for others waiting for, and recovering from, a transplant.”

 

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Chad Palmer donates his unused paid time off (PTO)

Chad Palmer is well known for his computer savvy and ability to resolve software crises that pop up when least expected. But very few people know that Chad is just as generous in supporting St. Joseph’s Foundation. He gives thousands each year to support fundraising initiatives that benefit our hospital by donating his unused paid time off (PTO).

“When I found out that I could donate my unused paid-time-off from the job I love, it was really eye-opening,” says the Arizona native. “My donations support the hospital … and I get the tax deduction benefits, too. How great is that? It’s a win-win for St. Joseph's and me!

 

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The Jordan Sterling Foundation advances physicians knowledge

The Jordan Sterling Foundation was founded by family and friends of Jordan Sterling in 2009 to honor his memory and help others in the fight against cystic fibrosis.

The foundation partnered with St. Joseph’s to establish the Jordan Sterling Lung Transplant Fellowship at Norton Thoracic Institute, offering a unique opportunity for physicians to advance their knowledge of cardiopulmonary transplant medicine to treat patients in advanced stages of cystic fibrosis or other end-stage lung disease.

 

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Grateful dentist Mark Peck gives back after lung transplant

Mark Peck, DDS, was training to hike Mt. Everest when he became deathly ill, so sick that only a lung transplant could save him. Although his condition was extremely complex, he underwent a successful double lung transplant procedure in April 2021. During his recovery, he and his wife, Marie, made a pledge to match donations up to $50,000 to support the lung transplant program at Norton Thoracic Institute, leading to a total of $100,000 raised for the program.

“I am super grateful to the doctors and nurses and everyone at the Norton at St. Joseph’s,” he says. “They saved my life, probably more than once. I am extremely fortunate.”

 

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Dr. John and Dorothy Ford Trust creates a personal legacy

St. Joseph’s Foundation is grateful to accept gifts in all forms, including planned gifts, which can create a personal legacy at the hospital. The foundation recently received one such gift in the amount of $500,000 from a trust created by Dr. John and Dorothy Ford of Phoenix. Having served as a surgeon for many years, John leaves an even greater legacy in the annals of medicine: In 1970, he and a colleague opened the nation’s first freestanding, outpatient surgery center.

The concept, dubbed “come-and-go-surgery” by Time magazine, greatly reduced medical costs for patients and revolutionized the industry. Currently, there are more than 5,300 ambulatory surgery centers in the United States.