Thanks to a couple’s donation, Upstate Medical University is improving its healing garden, considered as a sanctuary for employees, patients and families
By Norah Machia
When Mary Pat Hartnett was a nurse at Upstate Medical University, she often walked down a hospital corridor lined with glass windows that overlooked a garden area.
On her way to meetings at the other end of the corridor, she would stop and look out the windows at the green space, known as the healing garden and start to think of ways to improve it.
The healing garden is between the hospital and the Upstate Cancer Center and is accessible from an indoor second-floor entrance.
Upon her retirement after nearly three decades at Upstate Medical University, Hartnett and her husband, Joe, made an important decision. They prioritized the garden space in their estate planning, recognizing the need for a significant change. “At that time, there was only money for maintenance in the budget,” said Hartnett. “We wanted to make a donation specific to improving the healing garden.”
Their decision would mark the beginning of a new chapter for the special garden. The couple contacted the Upstate Foundation and established a specific fund for a new, improved green space. Last fall, their gift was used for a major overhaul of the watering systems and the planting of perennials, said Carolyn Hendrickson, Upstate Foundation director.
The landscaper, Scenic View Hardscapes of Syracuse, planted the last of the garden’s annuals this spring. New tables and chairs, along with 16 self-watering planters, are also planned for the healing garden, said Hendrickson.
Tables and chairs will also be part of the project, along with outdoor decorative lighting for those who want to enjoy the area in the evenings. The Hartnetts said all the changes have created a more welcoming natural environment, the main goal of the renovation.
The healing garden, a testament to the couple’s vision and generosity, is more than just a physical space. It represents a sanctuary for employees, patients and family members, offering a respite from the clinical environment. For some, it provides a momentary escape from the realities of illness and treatment, said Mary Pat Hartnett.
Studies have shown that getting outside and taking in the natural world helps both physical and mental health. Even just sitting outdoors and breathing fresh air can lower blood pressure and reduce stress.
For those who cannot get outside, the healing garden is perfectly placed by the windows of the Upstate Cancer Center. This location allows children and adults receiving treatment indoors to view the garden space, which is visible to patients receiving care on the second floor (hematology and oncology infusion), the third floor (pediatric oncology) and the fourth floor (adult hematology).
“We called the Upstate Foundation a year ago because we wanted to donate to this very special cause,” with a goal to create a beautiful and peaceful outdoor space in the healing garden, explained Hartnett, who retired three years ago and has a daughter working as a nurse at Upstate.
The Upstate Foundation, founded in 1976, is a nonprofit entity that receives and administers gifts and bequests in support of Upstate Medical University. The foundation raises money for patient care, healthcare provider education, scientific research and community health and well-being initiatives.
Donations are made to the foundation for various reasons, including by patients and family members who are grateful for the care they received at Upstate, along with current and retired employees who want to show their support for the hospital.
Hartnett’s parents had set an example of creating a lifelong legacy of giving back to the community. It was 25 years ago that her brother, who was 32 years old, died of sudden cardiac arrest. After his untimely death, her parents donated AEDs (automated external defibrillators) to several locations, including Onondaga Community College, to help save lives. This was before the devices were required in certain areas, she said.
The couple — who declined to say how much they donated to Upstate — said they are passing along the importance of generosity to the next generation. “You’re supposed to share what you have,” said Hartnett. “Our children have grown up with that attitude as well.”
The Hartnetts have three children and seven grandchildren.
For more information: www.upstatefoundation.org