ChenMedders Help Patient Tie the Knot

“She’s my heart. She is my love,” shares ChenMed patient, Edwin Maldonado about his bride-to-be. When Edwin and Crystal decided they wanted to get married, they turned to the Dedicated Senior Medical Center team in Jacksonville, FL to see if they could tie the knot at the center. Without a second thought, Executive Center Director Ron Gobble gave them the green light. “I was surprised at first that somebody wanted to get married in a doctor's office. But after hearing their story, I was honored. It’s a huge honor that they think so much of us, and we think so much of them.”

Edwin has been a patient with Dedicated for several years.? When he first entered the medical center doors, he was managing chronic conditions, and he was homeless, living out of his car. He confessed his living situation with his Primary Care Provider, Dr. Sandya Narukonda. Together with the help of social workers and the care team, they were able to help Edwin and his bride, Crystal, fill out applications to get them temporary housing until they could get back on their feet. Shortly after finding a place to live, Edwin suffered a major heart attack and had to be rushed to the hospital.? He had 70-80% blockage in his major veins. When it seemed like there was no hope, the care team gathered around Crystal to pray and called her frequently to check on Edwin. Dr. Narukonda would personally visit Edwin in the hospital and coordinate care between the specialists so Edwin could make informed decisions. “I didn't trust nobody, but Dr. Naronkonda because she's been there. She's helped me from the littlest wounds to the biggest wounds. She took the time out on her busy schedule to drop everything and help us,” shares Crystal.

Today, the couple is all smiles because of the care team that turned into family. “They give better care to me than I do myself. Dedicated has gone above and beyond many times,” shares Edwin as he gets choked up when he talks about the team.

On August 1st, Edwin and Crystal exchanged vows in front of their Dedicated family in north Florida with the Executive Center Director Ron Gobble as the officiant and X-Ray Tech Josh Wilder as the Best Man. “We just love to see each other smile and make others smile,” shares Edwin about Josh. However, not only did the center host the wedding, care team members like Referrals Manager Celethia Collins and others came together to get the bride’s hair, makeup, and nails done as well. It was the full wedding package.

You can watch the wedding and see how ChenMedders stepped in to help by clicking on the image below.

This is the type of love, accountability, and passion that runs through the halls of ChenMed. The desire to not only keep our patients healthy, but to make them happy.

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