Personal connections with McLeod Health run deep for Mary Glenn and Jule Eldridge. Their many years of support and service along with their recent legacy commitment attest to the value they place on excellent healthcare close to home.

As a young couple, they celebrated the births of each of their three beloved children at McLeod Regional Medical Center. Little did they know that the McLeod Children’s Hospital, located on the same campus, would have such a dramatic impact on their family.

In 2015, what began as a cold turned into a frightening late-night emergency for the Eldridge’s 10-month-old son, Thomas. Through the immediate attention and guidance of their pediatrician, Dr. Brian Naylor, Thomas was admitted to the Children’s Hospital where he was diagnosed with a severe case of RSV, a respiratory disease that can wreak havoc on a toddler.

For the next five days, as Thomas struggled to breathe, respiratory therapists trained to work with children gave him breathing treatments day and night.

Mary Glenn and Jule continue to be grateful for the healing treatment provided to their son as well as the loving concern for worn-out parents. They were able to bring Thomas home on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. They had their best Thanksgiving celebration ever being home with their young family.

The Eldridges have since become active with the McLeod Health Foundation. Jule took part in the McLeod Fellows program and learned of plans for a Children’s Hospital expansion. It was natural for him and Mary Glenn to generously support a project that would help ensure continued excellent care for the children of our region. Jule also served on the McLeod Children’s Hospital Campaign Committee and became a member of the McLeod Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

Their family was instrumental in the establishment of the June B. Smith Scholarship honoring the memory of Mary Glenn’s grandmother, a longtime McLeod Volunteer. Worthy students pursuing medical careers benefit from June Smith’s legacy.

Most recently, the couple has become McLeod Hospice Tree Lighting Sponsors in gratitude for the loving hospice care Mary Glenn’s mother, Eranda Everett, received.

A financial advisor with Crescent Advisory Partners of Raymond James, Jule works with many McLeod Foundation donors to assist with their personal giving. He has helped guide several clients with plans that will provide exceptional healthcare for future generations at McLeod Health.

With their numerous close ties to McLeod, it was only natural for Jule and Mary Glenn to invest in the future by making the McLeod Foundation a beneficiary of their life insurance policy.

The Eldridge’s family legacy will help ensure excellent care is available for other young families facing their own frightening healthcare crisis. You can help ensure the future of medical excellence through your gift to the McLeod Health Foundation. Contact Casey Rasmussen at (843) 777-2898 or casey.rasmussen@mcleodhealth.org to learn more.