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Monongahela Valley Hospital Joint Replacement Patients Receive Holiday Cheer

Monongahela Valley Hospital's Orthopedic Institute Coordinator Lorraine Damich, RN, BSN, CPAN, and donation coordinator Brittany Fagioletti, deliver bears photo

Monongahela Valley Hospital's Orthopedic Institute Coordinator Lorraine Damich, RN, BSN, CPAN, (left) and donation coordinator Brittany Fagioletti, (right) deliver bears to the hospital's Orthopedic Institute joint replacement patients. Barb Duranti, of Donora, is recovering from double-knee replacement surgery and said she was surprised with the Gund bear gift. It was one of 144 donated by Aéropostale stores in Washington, Greensburg and Pittsburgh.

Brittany Fagioletti delivers 144 Gund bears to her mom Kim, nurse manager photo

Brittany Fagioletti delivers 144 Gund bears to her mom Kim, nurse manager photo

Brittany Fagioletti, of Belle Vernon, assistant manager of the Washington Tanger Outlets Aéropostale, delivers 144 Gund bears to her mom Kim, nurse manager. They will distribute the teddy bears to joint replacement patients at Monongahela Valley Hospital's Orthopedic Institute. Miss Fagioletti convinced her colleagues at two other Aéropostale stores to contribute to the holiday cheer. Many departments at MVH have special treats and traditions to lighten a holiday stay.

(December 13, 2013 - Carroll Township, Pa.)

Patients spending the holiday at Monongahela Valley Hospital's Orthopedic Institute will receive a special gift wishing them quick recoveries, thanks to the generosity of three local stores and one assistant manager, who feels like MVH is "her family."

Brittany Fagioletti, 23, of Belle Vernon, convinced her colleagues at Aéropostale stores - Washington Tanger Outlets, Pittsburgh's Robinson Town Center and Greensburg's Westmoreland Mall - to each give 48 plush Christmas Gund teddy bears to MVH's Orthopedic Institute joint replacement patients this holiday. Miss Fagioletti's mother Kim is the nurse manager for the Orthopedic Institute and her sister Erika works in the Gift Shop.

"I know how hard my mom works here and how much she cares for her patients," said Miss Fagioletti, who also once worked in the hospital's Gift Shop. "I wanted to do something special for the patients; it feels like family here."

Senior Vice President of Nursing Mary Lou Murt said the hospital will also use a few of the bears to comfort any children who might come to the Emergency Department during Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

This is the first time the Aéropostale stores donated the bears to the hospital's patients. Many of the hospital's departments have special holiday treats and traditions to lighten a holiday hospital stay.

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