TAMPA, Fla. — Today marks the first day of spring, and it's no better time for employees at Tampa General Hospital to reach out to ABC Action News about their latest project.
Where many saw just a simple path between hospital wings, MRI Technologist Victor Castellano envisioned the impact it could have on the entire staff.
“I work in the department right around the corner, and I used to come out every once in a while just for a breath of fresh air, but it just wasn’t very beautiful to look at,” said Castellano.
So Castellano brought his hobby of gardening to work, donating his time, money and knowledge to create a peace garden for team members to enjoy.
“We have a very difficult job. Even though Tampa General is a great place, we don’t see the prettiest things all the time, so it’s important for us to be able to step out for these little sips of light and be with nature,” said Castellano.
What happened next was beyond anything the MRI tech could have hoped for. Team members from various departments started joining in and helping out.
“They were very enthusiastic. I kind of thought it would be something that people came out like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s pretty nice,’ but really it was an overwhelming reaction and people just wanted to help,” said Castellano.
Funding for the garden was also provided courtesy of TGH's Community Health and Wellness.
“Being a massage therapist, I’m all about wellness, coming out, peace, meditation, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to come out and lend a hand,” said Yolanda Wilson Strudwick.
Castillano figured why not expand the project, enlisting the help of Tampa artist Alyssa Dulap to create a mural the whole team could take part in.
“To be able to see that many people come together who haven’t held a paintbrush in years and come out with an end result that they are proud of, I don’t have words to describe how that feels,” said Dunlap.
Not only did the garden blossom, but so, too, did friendships among departments, creating a space where stories throughout the TGH community can be shared and voices can be heard.
“Very beneficial. People come out here all the time and just sit out here,” said Strudwick.
Best of all, it’s an ongoing project where team members will continue to work together to keep the garden green for years to come.
“Very emotional, to be honest; we have a lot of dedicated team members. They’ve been here for a long time, and for them to leave a mark on this place and have it be here forever even when they have to leave TGH,” said senior wellness educator Elizabeth Labusch.
