by Thomas Hobson
Child Life Director

Today was an extremely exciting day at Le Bonheur. Along with all of the typical hospital events were occurring, there was something different. We had Memphis’ mayor, A.C. Wharton, deliver his State of the City address at the hospital.

There are a few amazing things about this. The first is that this is the first State of the City address that has been done in a public forum. It demonstrates the openness and welcoming of the community to the mayor’s office. We here at Le Bonheur are honored that Mayor Wharton chose the hospital as the site for his speech.

So, this morning, Le Bonheur was filled with patients, families, staff, elected officials, leaders of the business, and many others. In the lobby of the hospital this group came together to hear the mayor’s speech. The turn out was so great that the lobby, cafeteria seating area, and spaces around the rotunda were full.

Mayor Wharton’s message was one of hope and togetherness for the city. It rang through that we, as Memphians, can (and have) accomplish so much, and it is done through working together to create an even brighter future for the city. It showcased many of the wonderful points and stories of the city. The speech was filled with pride and love for Memphis.

One of my favorite quotes from the speech was talking about the outpouring community support in building of the new Le Bonheur:

We did not set out to raise one hundred million dollars to build this new hospital in the middle of a recession because we thought it would be easy or quick. We did it because when Memphis sees a need, we rise to the challenge.

I’d like to thank Mayor Wharton and his staff for choosing Le Bonheur as the site for the speech. It was a pleasure to play host to such a wonderful event. It reminds us that Le Bonheur is here for the community, and the community is here for Le Bonheur. It takes all of us to make this city great, and I believe that we can do it.