Stories

Weather in southern California rarely calls for even a light sweater. So last September when Manuel Linares, a 77-year-old retiree living in San Pedro, had chills so intense that he was shaking, his daughter, Marta Lopez, knew something was seriously wrong.

“From my hospital window, I could see the beach where everything happened,” recalls Providence Spine Institute patient Randy White.
The jet skiing excursion that landed him here in August 2018 had begun like so many others he’d enjoyed over the years. Blue sky. Blue water. “I set out to live my best life,” says Randy. But that day, just 10 minutes into his ride, a wake wave hit him and tossed him off his jet ski

When Orfa Nitkiewicz, a 63-year-old designer and seamstress who lives in Hawthorne, saw a partially paralyzed man walking with the help of an exoskeleton walking device in a parade on television, she had no idea how important that image would be for her future.

There was nothing to signal that Caroline Kilmartin, a healthy 32-year-old mother to 2-year-old Calen, would have any problems with her second delivery. Twenty-eight weeks pregnant with another son, Caroline and her husband, Lorcan, were busy preparing and enjoying time with Calen before the new baby arrived. And that would be months down the road. Or at least that’s what they thought.

A little over a year ago, Arturo DiPietro thought he was in the best shape of his life. After all, he worked out every day, never ate junk food and didn’t have any known chronic health conditions. So he was caught completely by surprise when his heart stopped just three days before his 49th birthday.

“If you have your health, you have everything,” says Priscilla Hunt. At 86, she still goes to work every day at Hunt Enterprises, a real estate company based in Lawndale, and has also made it her life’s work to give back to causes she believes in…

Dr. Phyllis Monroe has a unique perspective on the impact of philanthropy at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro from her vantage point as a physician, donor and Community Ministry Board Member.

It’s little surprise that Pamela Ryan, a Hermosa Beach woman who died last August at age 73, decided to remember Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers Torrance and San Pedro in her estate. According to her friends, Ryan loved life, appreciated the life-saving care she received at the hospital and wanted to make sure others had the best medical care possible.

The shared vision of the Little Company of Mary Sisters and the Sisters of Providence to provide high-quality and compassionate care inspires friends and volunteers in our community. Thoughtful gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations help uphold our mission by supporting our facilities, providing leading-edge technology, and ensuring excellent care for all, especially the poor and vulnerable.