Coming Home

Tierney Wilks’ job as the FedExFamilyHouse volunteer and marketing coordinator holds an extra special place in her heart. She understands the emotional roller coaster patients and their families are experiencing, because she was in their shoes as a teenager.

“Le Bonheur means everything to me,” said Tierney. “I got to see firsthand how they save lives because they saved my own.”

In 2013, just a few months after her 16th birthday, Tierney was at home on President’s Day, relaxing and enjoying the day off from school, when she got a funny feeling in her chest. As a track and step team athlete, her body was extremely conditioned. Tierney was accustomed to being out of breath after a workout or run, but not while sitting on the couch.

Tierney, an asthmatic, called her mom to ask where the inhaler was because she “felt like a stack of books was on her chest.” Immediately, alarm bells went off in her mom’s mind, so she left work and went straight home. Soon after, Tierney and her mom were with their pediatrician, who sent them straight to the Le Bonheur emergency department.

A battery of tests and doctors’ consultations led to the diagnosis of a congenital heart defect — an anomalous right coronary artery (RCA), a rare heart condition where the RCA originates from a different location than normal.

Once doctors determined a diagnosis, plans for surgery and treatment moved swiftly. Tierney was scheduled to have open-heart surgery the following month on Good Friday 2013.

The surgery was a success, and with proper management and care, she lives a normal, healthy life with visits to her cardiologist every two years. Not only was the experience a medical success, but Tierney and her family also
felt an incredible wave of gratitude for how the Le Bonheur medical team and staff cared for them.

“My Le Bonheur care team treated each and every one of us like we were important and valuable,” said Tierney.
“They answered every question I had, and it’s so special to work here now so I can be that voice for people when they’re worried or concerned.”

The summer after her surgery, Tierney participated in the “volunteen” program at Le Bonheur, which inspired her to consider a career in nursing. In college, she changed her major from nursing to business, which she never dreamed could take her back to Le Bonheur. Then, in her junior year of college, Tierney did a service project at FedExFamilyHouse, and her eyes were opened to an entirely new way she could make Le Bonheur her career.

At FedExFamilyHouse, families have private, comfortable accommodations free of charge where they can find respite during hospital stays. In addition to a place to rest and recharge, the House includes snacks, games, stocked kitchens and a play area.

In her role at FedExFamilyHouse, Tierney is able to plan fun, exciting things for the kids to give them a break from the heaviness that can be felt along their health journey. She understands how fears and exhaustion can take a toll on the patients and their families.

“I get to say, ‘look at me now,’ which brings comfort to the people who are here,” said Tierney, “Everyone says I’m a big kid, and I love interacting with the patients and making them forget they’re in the hospital, even if it’s just for a few hours.”

The family-centered care and support Tierney experienced as a Le Bonheur patient led to a lifetime of gratitude that she’s now passing on to others.

Frederick W. Smith

We were saddened by the passing of Frederick W. Smith, a Memphis icon. Without his leadership, FedExFamilyHouse would not exist today. He co-founded the effort to get FedExFamilyHouse built, and it has been a tremendous gift to the kids and their families at Le Bonheur. We are grateful for his far-reaching love and passion for this community. We send our love and support to his family.

FedExFamilyHouse and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital are honored to reflect Mr. Smith’s deep commitment to the community and the world.