Miracle family makes donation to Geisinger ICU employees
The Mattucci family doesn’t have to look any farther than under their own roof to realize who they are staying home for — their 8-year-old son Carter, a 2016 Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger Miracle Kid.
Carter was born with a congenital heart defect that caused the right side of his heart to be underdeveloped, not allowing proper oxygenation of blood for his body. He had three surgeries to correct the problem. However, with the heart defect, Carter could have severe complications if he were infected with COVID-19.
The family stays home as much as possible, but Carter’s father Daniel Mattucci, who works in the vascular operating room at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, still needs to work. Although his daily work does not put him on the front lines of the virus, he and his wife Heather take extra precautions.
“Daniel’s chances of caring for a patient with COVID-19 are low, but we have a process when he gets home that he goes straight to the laundry room to wash his clothes and then gets right in the shower,” Heather Mattucci said. “He touches nothing or no one until he is showered.”
Because Heather has been cut off from the outside world to keep Carter’s heart and lungs healthy and to care for their 7-year-old daughter Laila, she has felt helpless in the fight against COVID-19.
“I wanted to do something to comfort those who put their lives at risk each day for the people of our community,” she said. “I started taking donations for (Lemongrass Spa) soothing care kits to be donated to employees at Geisinger.”
Heather, who is a consultant for Lemongrass Spa products, asked friends, family and customers for $20 donations to sponsor the kits, which included hand and body lotion, lip balm and Healing Elements balm. Her initial goal was to donate 30 kits, but the outpouring of support allowed her to donate 62 kits to the staff in the ICU.
“I just hope the frontline workers know how much they are appreciated and valued,” Heather said. “I am in awe of their sacrifices.”
The ICU team was very pleased with for the gift, according to Kim Gummel, MSN, associate vice president of nursing services at Geisinger.
“The Lemongrass Spa donation from the Mattucci family is very generous and our team will appreciate this gift tremendously to aid in their own self-care,” Ms. Gummel said. “Thank you to the Mattucci family for having such a big heart and caring for our frontline teams, who will continue to be our heroes at the bedside.”
To make a donation in the fight against COVID-19, please visit Geisinger.org/fightcovid or call 800-739-6882.
