Jonathan Pinkard was taken to Piedmont Newnan Hospital in critical condition due to heart failure. Not only was this 27-year-old autistic man in shreds from his heart condition, he had no family to support him. His mother’s need to live in a rehabilitation center forced him to live with his grandmother.
Sadly, his grandmother died seven years ago and Jonathan was left without family or friends to comfort him as he struggled to survive.
His only chance of survival would have required a heart transplant. But without the support of his family or friends to help him recover from such massive surgery, he could never hope to become a recipient.
There was no hope for Jonathan. Her nurse, Laurie Wood, knew what she had to do. She told the Washington Post, “At some point, God puts people in situations in your life, and you have a choice to do something. For me, there was no choice. I’m a nurse, I had an extra bedroom. It wasn’t something I struggled with. He had to come home with me.”
Laurie Wood is a single mother of two sons. She legally adopted Jonathan and made his family her family. “I couldn’t believe someone who had only known me for two days would do that,” Jonathan Pinkard told The Washington Post. “It was like a dream.”
Not only does Jonathan have a new heart, but he has a new “mom”. They bond through TV shows like Family Feud and Football. Laurie makes sure her new son eats well, attends his doctor’s appointments and takes his 34 medications.
Mike Robertson, CEO of Piedmont Newnan Hospital, told the Washington Post that Laurie’s selfless behavior is contagious and makes everyone at the hospital become better people and caregivers. Her big heart earned her accolades as she was named the 2018-2019 Promise 360 Annual Champion for Piedmont Newnan Hospital.
