In March 2025, Donald "Jeff" Lawrence became UMass Memorial Medical Center’s oldest Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) patient at the time when he received his implant—a heart pump that helps restore blood flow for patients whose weakened heart muscles can no longer pump blood effectively.

In the year since receiving his LVAD, Jeff is feeling better than he has in years and is back to roughly 80% of activity and health.

“There are up and down days,” says Jeff, “but each is a gift.”

The ability to return to the sports he loves has been the best part of this journey. Jeff received his LVAD on...

At just 18 years old, Adelaide “Addie” Greenwald — an Uxbridge native and Assumption University student — experienced a heart attack. Addie credits her skilled and compassionate cardiac teams at Milford Regional Medical Center and UMass Memorial Medical Center with saving her life and helping her return to normal activities and levels of energy. Now she wants to share her story to bring awareness to women’s heart health.

Francesco Aiello, MD, and Sandra Aiello, CNP, have been UMass Memorial Health caregivers for more than a decade. With the vision and support of their children, John and Maeve, the Aiello family is giving back to the institution where their family has both given and received care. Every holiday season, the family makes a donation to the UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center for staff to put towards their area of greatest need. This has helped John and Maeve more deeply understand the importance of helping those in need and inspired their own fundraising activities in support of the hospital...

Sarah and Dix Davis journey with UMass Memorial Health started in 1970 when their oldest son was born at UMass Memorial Medical Center – Memorial Campus. Their second son was also born there in 1972, and then their daughter Margaret was born six weeks premature in 1977. Margaret spent two weeks in the UMass Memorial NICU where she received life-saving care.

“The NICU had opened just three years prior,” says Sarah. “There has been so much progress in medicine since then that if a baby is born prematurely now, while still a challenging time for the family, there is a lot more that can be done...

Erika Wilkinson, a longtime, dedicated supporter of Marlborough Hospital, passed away at the age of 96 after a life of service to others. She left a generous bequest to the hospital that had cared for her family since 1953.  

Erika’s daughter, Heidi, who passed away in 2006, was born on January 4, 1955, and was the first baby born at Marlborough Hospital that year. Heidi went on to spend many years there as a candy striper and a volunteer; she was beloved by hospital staff. Erika’s late husband, Bob, also received care at Marlborough Hospital for multiple health issues during his 91 years.

In a...

In March 2019, Emily Foster’s life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer.

Emily—who is a Global Brand Ambassador for her family’s company, Goslings Rum—was born and raised in Bermuda but splits her time between Bermuda, the United Kingdom, and Canada. She first underwent chemotherapy and surgery in the UK and then a smaller procedure in Canada. Emily’s health seemed to be under control for the time being.

Then the world shut down when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“I started to experience intense gastrointestinal pain,” says Emily, “but it was difficult...