Elevating Spirits

May 6, 2011

By Mark Williams, PGA TOUR

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—On completion of Wednesday morning’s pro-am round at Shoal Creek, two Champions Tour professionals decided to make the trip downtown to tour the hospital and spend some time interacting with the patients. Mark Calcavecchia, the 1989 British Open champion, and Russ Cochran, a two-time winner on the Champions Tour last season, joined their wives, Brenda and Jackie, respectively, for the visit. The foursome arrived loaded with Champions Tour t-shirts and 30 hand-made quilts, provided by QuiltsForKids, to deliver to the kids.


Calcavecchia and Cochran learned that one week earlier, it was the busiest night in the Children’s Hospital of Alabama’s history. In addition to its usual capacity, Children’s had received 60 trauma patients from that night’s brutal tornadoes.


Of those 60 patients, most were Level I traumas, meaning Children’s Hospital, home to the state’s only pediatric Level I Trauma Center, was the only place these children could receive that level of specialized care. Many of the victims’ parents were also admitted to adult hospitals. The general nature of injuries received were severe head traumas, broken bones and lacerations. Most required surgery. There were also two deaths.


Nineteen of those 60 patients were still admitted when Calcavecchia and Cochran tried to inject a little joy into their lives. While delivering quilts, Cochran met six-year-old Destiny and her mom, Frances, who was proudly sporting a University of Alabama shirt. As Cochran and his wife discussed the damage in Tuscaloosa with Frances, they told her their daughter Kelly currently attends college in Tuscaloosa. “[Seeing the destruction] makes me want to start doing it again,” said Jackie, a former intensive-care nurse.


Jeremy, a 14-year-old basketball player who wants to attend Auburn University, was released from hospital shortly after meeting the players. On his way out, Jeremy asked them to autograph the shirt they gave him.


“I tried to get Mark to change his name to Smith,” said Cochran, as Calcavecchia took his time with the 12 letters in his name.


“It was very emotional,” said Calcavecchia of the visit. “These kids are so brave. If I can take something away from this, it’s to be as brave as they are.


John, 14, had come out of surgery earlier that day. When the players entered the room, his eyes lit up. “Oh, sweet. This is the best day,” he said, because his scheduled surgery the day before was postponed after he had fasted all day. “We gave up and went to Waffle House. I told the doc he’s gotta get this thing right this time.”


“We’re lucky to play golf for a living. It’s easy for us to come and try to cheer these kids up a little,” said Calcavecchia.


Cochran picked up where Calcavecchia left off. “As a longtime member of the TOUR we get to do some fun things, and to me, personally, this is one of those things. There’s no question, the spirit of these kids is so infectious. My wife and I will be talking about this for a long time. You come here hoping to help out and you leave inspired.”


Earlier in the week, two patients from Children’s Hospital enjoyed the opportunity to play in the Great Grand Champions Pro-Am held on the Little links at Shoal Creek. One was Chandler Fullman, 15, who fell into a coma for about two weeks in late 2010 because of an abnormal connection between his arteries and veins in his brain. The other golfer was Andy Mims, now 19, who was diagnosed with acute myelogenus leukemia three days before his 18th birthday. He’s been cancer-free since leaving the hospital last July.


After joining legends like Miller Barber and Billy Casper in the pro-am, Fullman spent the afternoon getting a lesson on the driving range with Champions Tour professional Denis Watson. “I think it’s pretty neat I’m back here on the golf course after eight months,” said Fullman, who spent 56 days in the hospital. “It’s just amazing what doctors and nurses and Jesus Christ can do.”

Editor’s Note: In 2010 Children’s Hospital plans a new $400-million expansion scheduled to open in August that will increase bed capacity from 275 to 325. The expansion will also feature a cardio-vascular facility which means patients with certain needs will no longer have to be transported to a different location for surgery.