How One Gift Can Touch Many Lives

From left: Lee Memorial President Jim Nathan; scholarship recipients Denise Aponte-Carrasquillo and Thomas Romano; Bill Waldron, Frances and Robert Feuchter's nephew; and LMHS board member Linda Brown

Frances Feuchter, a 30-year Cape Coral resident believed to be one of the earliest volunteers for Cape Coral Hospital, died in 2007. But her support of Lee Memorial Health System continues even after her death through an endowed scholarship established by her niece and nephew to memorialize Frances and her husband, Robert.

Since 1990, Lee Memorial Health System (LMHS) has awarded educational grants to provide financial assistance to students in southwest Florida who are pursuing careers in health care. Last year, Lee Memorial awarded a total of $260,000 in educational grants to 157 individuals so they could follow their dreams of one day working in the health care field. These students are our future nurses, physicians, lab technicians and so much more.

The Robert and Frances Feuchter Endowment for Nursing and Health Care Education Scholarship has been awarded for two years; Thomas Romano and Denise Aponte-Carrasquillo have been the most recent recipients.

Thomas currently works at Lee Memorial and is completing his LPN degree. He then plans to enter the RN program at Edison College with the ultimate goal of becoming a nurse anesthetist.

Denise, a single mother with two children, has worked at Lee Memorial for 10 years, the last six as an LPN. It is her hope to become an RN with her education grant so she may provide a better life for her children while continuing to care for patients at Cape Coral Hospital. Healthy Giving

One of the greatest gifts in life is helping others pursue their dreams. Many of the student recipients would never be able to complete their education without additional assistance from these grants. The "give back and pay-it-forward" philosophy is truly evident in the growing philanthropic support Lee Memorial Health System Foundation has seen in recent years, allowing us to provide educational grants for individuals with financial need and an interest in pursuing a career in a health-related profession.