Late last December, Martha Bau was traveling in Europe with her twin daughters when she received terrible news. Her 24-year-old son, David, had been in a severe car accident and sustained life-threatening abdominal injuries. The force of his seatbelt caused a deep wound that would take nine surgeries to repair during a monthlong hospital stay.

By his side every day and night, Martha was very grateful for the wonderful care David received from critical care specialist David Hanpeter, M.D. “Dr. Hanpeter was so calm and encouraging,”
remembers Martha. “Every time he brought David back from surgery, he was a little better.”

Over the weeks, Martha took note of caregivers’ daily acts of kindness and compassion — the nursing assistant who lovingly washed and brushed her son’s hair and the respiratory therapist who gently shaved his beard and called him “mijo.” It wasn’t just David they cared for. Martha is quick to recognize caregivers for their sensitivity and care of her. “They were excited about his milestones, and they wanted me to understand that each one meant he was getting better,” she says. “We felt the warmth and love of being a part of the Providence Holy Cross family.” On January 29, David walked out of the hospital with his whole life ahead of him.

Thanking the Providence Holy Cross angels
Martha was moved by the extraordinary care David received and was deeply grateful for his second chance at life. Remembering the spirit of giving instilled in her by her mother, Martha decided she wanted to give back. She made a combination of a pledge and an outright gift to establish the Dr. David Hanpeter Trauma Service Excellence Fund.

“I think of Dr. Hanpeter and the whole team at Holy Cross as angels, and I’m eternally grateful for what they did to save my son,” says Martha. “This is something that came from my heart. I want everyone who walks into the hospital to get the same care and attention he did. It’s not about me. It’s about the future. It’s about the next patient.”