A heartwarming reunion took place at St. Ann Center recently that demonstrates the power of caregiving. Lawrence “Boo” Bibbs, a therapy client at the Center, got together with Linda Schoemann, a rehab tech, who had cared for him 13 years ago after he suffered a life-threatening injury.
“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Boo says of the day a bullet grazed the top of his head, knocking him unconscious and into a coma. When Linda, then working for Sacred Heart Rehabilitation, met him, he was tethered to tracheal and feeding tubes and struggling to form words. Patiently, Linda moved Boo’s limp limbs, and tried to awaken his foggy brain by asking him to name all the Great Lakes.
As Boo’s rehabilitation progressed, he moved on to other therapies and lost touch with Linda. Recently, by pure serendipity, he was talking about his recovery process to a group of Columbia St. Mary’s nursing students interning at St. Ann Center. When he mentioned Linda, the name rang a bell with Maggie, their nursing instructor. Sacred Heart is an affiliate of Columbia St. Mary’s.
“I received an email that began, ‘This is a strange request…,’” Linda says. The message went on to describe Boo’s injury, asked if Linda remembered working with him and if she’d be interested in seeing him again. The answer to both questions was “Yes!”
When the two met in St. Ann Center’s atrium, “I recognized this handsome young man right away,” Linda said. “He has the same beautiful smile.” She also noticed what had changed about Boo. “He’s much stronger, and his speech is back to normal.” In response, Boo grinned and instantly recited, “Superior, Michigan, Erie, Ontario and Huron.”
Linda added, “It feels good to be remembered, and to know you’ve done some good in your life.”