Jerry Hoffman: A Dream Realized

As a child, Jerry Hoffman had a dream. The dream was rooted in helping people, especially the most precious, our children. Through a lifelong career in pediatric nursing, she has realized that dream and a whole lot more.

Some of Jerry's earliest memories are fraught with frequent trips to the hospital as she battled childhood illnesses. She remembers a sterile environment that wasn't child-friendly. As a young girl, she was scared and unfortunately the hospital restricted visitation, even by her parents. She felt alone, frightened and left to her own amusement. At that moment, she decided her goal in life would be to make a change.

Her personal experiences propelled her to set out on a career in nursing. Jerry embraced her education with an awareness of what was lacking in a child and parents' experience and what it should become. Her career led her to the University of Michigan and Akron Children's Hospital, where she loved working with patients and teaching and mentoring nursing students. With a yearning to learn more about the needs of children, she went to the University of Pittsburgh for her master's in nursing education.

When Jerry's son was born with pyloric stenosis, it became even more personal. He spent a week in a hospital, and she was only allowed to visit twice a day. Several years later, he became ill again, and that's when she discovered Nationwide Children's Hospital. He spent 10 days in the hospital, which quickly became her home away from home. With a close connection to Nationwide Children's and an appreciation for the amazing staff caring for her family, she wished to join the team.

She was hired as a staff nurse, but quickly became a clinical nurse specialist in the surgical unit. And those who cared for her son and family became her colleagues. "This was truly the beginning of my love affair with Nationwide Children's," Jerry says. She had experienced it firsthand, and now was providing the family-centered care. The leadership at Nationwide Children's lifted her up and always made the children first priority.

Jerry moved on to teach nursing at Otterbein University, but her heart remained at Nationwide Children's. She returned to the nursing education department, where every day she worked to improve upon the family-centered care model. "I loved my job, always working on making Nationwide Children's the best place for children and their families," Jerry says.

Jerry honors her commitment to Nationwide Children's through a planned gift in her will. This lasting gift will support pediatric cancer treatment at Nationwide Children's. She is thrilled to leave a legacy that will support our patients and their families for years to come. Continued from the previous page

She watched as the campus grew, but the mission remained the same, providing expert care to every child regardless of the family's ability to pay. "I give back to Nationwide Children's because it has given so much to me," Jerry says. "Seeing my children, grandchildren and countless patients I cared for during my career there, I have been touched by the miracles."

As Jerry walks the halls of Nationwide Children's today, she smiles knowing that children will never have to experience what she did. She knew then that sick and injured children deserved better. And she helped make it happen.