Exceptional care affirms Tacoma couple’s commitment to Tacoma General
Cynthia Darland and her husband Tim Samlaska are in their 70s and share a love of movies, travel and dining out.
The couple also deeply appreciate MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital. This passion for their community’s hospital was recently affirmed on Dec. 11, 2023.
Early that morning, Darland woke with a start as Samlaska bolted up in bed.
“He just sat up and said call 911,” she remembers. “I said, ‘What’s going on?’
“He said, ‘My heart,’” Darland continues.
Due to a previous cardiac incident, Samlaska had been placed on a pacemaker and defibrillator to restore and maintain a normal heartbeat. One of the devices had malfunctioned in the night.
Darland knew just where to go — Tacoma General Hospital.
In good hands at Tacoma General
The couple immediately felt that they were in good hands at the hospital’s emergency department (ED).
“It was a really long, anxious day for us, but the staff there was amazing, start to finish,” Darland shares.
Matisse Hemingway, RN, was among the standout care team. She kept constant watch over Samlaska and frequently checked in, ensuring he wasn’t in pain and answering any questions he or Darland had.
From Hemingway’s perspective, “Tim and Cynthia were very kind and patient. I appreciated their conversation and getting to know them.”Staff also jumped in when Darland asked for directions to the cafeteria.
“The hospital security guard started saying, ‘Well you turn here and turn here,’ and I probably had that deer-in-the-headlights look,” she recalls. “And they said, ‘You know, I’ll walk down with you.’ We got about three-quarters of the way, and I said, ‘I’m never gonna find my way back.’ They said, ‘I’ll wait.’
“I have Parkinson’s and can get confused,” Darland continues. “So, the fact that I got so much help when things were really stressful, and I was really worried about Tim — it just really meant a lot.”
Giving back to ensure great care close to home
Darland has been a MultiCare donor for decades, and experiences like her husband’s affirm her commitment to invest in the community’s health care.
“I donate because it’s in my heart,” she explains. “If we didn’t have anything like Tacoma General here, Tim wouldn’t be here. My dad had his first coronary when he was 30 years old, and I wish this had been available for him.”
Working in the Tacoma General ED, Hemingway sees the impact of philanthropy directly.
“I believe the respect, kindness and support we get from folks like Cynthia are some of the many reasons why our department is able to run as smoothly as it does,” she shares. “We could not do it without people like her.”
