Most medical emergencies do not happen conveniently between the daytime hours of 8 and 4. This was never truer than with Ron and Kate Krajewski. Both are local to Sussex County; they own Ron Krajewski State Farm Agency and have four wonderful girls: Sarah, 14; Beth, 12; Megan, 9; and Caroline, 3. Three of their children are Beebe Babies born at Beebe Hospital.
On Christmas Eve 2016, after making sure all their children were snuggled in their beds ready for Santa to arrive, Kate began to have pain. After she struggled with discomfort for several hours at home, Ron drove Kate to Beebe. Ron described the scene in the Emergency Department: “It was 1 a.m., and it was so surreal driving on Christmas morning and arriving at the hospital. There were only three people in the waiting area. Immediately, they took Kate back and did a battery of tests to discover her gallbladder needed to be removed. So, early on Christmas morning, Dr. Michael Sofronski performed surgery. I can vividly remember being the only person in the surgery waiting room looking at the electronic tracking board that only had one patient on it, my wife! We were spending Christmas at Beebe.”
Ron recalled how the medical staff and Beebe team members were so kind, and went out of their way to make an unusual Christmas a little more joyful. They kept him informed, and finally Dr. Sofronski appeared to announce that Kate had one of the biggest gallbladders he had seen in a long time and she was doing well.
Seven months later, Ron was preparing for the Delaware State Fair where his daughters show dairy cows. Ron began to have severe abdominal pain and went to the Emergency Department at Beebe. This time it was a Friday night in July and the Emergency Department was very busy, much different from Kate’s Christmas morning. However, Ron said he did not wait too long. A CAT scan discovered diverticulitis. Ron was admitted by Dr. Sofronski to the hospital for treatment; he was given aggressive antibiotics and stayed at Beebe for two weeks. Eventually, it was determined that Ron would need a colectomy to correct the issue, and Dr. Erik Stancofski performed the surgery. Ron said, “Dr. Stancofski was great; he was clear, direct and an excellent communicator who explained clearly all the steps that would happen and my follow-up.”
Both Ron and Kate have recovered fully from their surgeries and are healthy, so they decided to support the I Believe in Beebe capital campaign and become 1916 Club members at the same time. As they look back at their two emergencies and all of their Beebe experiences, they are very grateful for the professional team and the excellent care they received.
“We believe as local residents and as local business owners, we need to support Beebe as it grows to create the next generation of care. Kate and I are proud to be Beebe Believers and make a campaign gift,” said Ron. “We encourage others to join us. For years, we sponsored and attended Beebe events. When asked to make a gift to the campaign, of course we said yes! The Beebe Medical Foundation made it easy for us to make a multi-year commitment and have our family name proudly listed on the donor wall. Beebe is always there for us, even on Christmas. We need to thank our doctors, nurses and others who are always there for our families by actively giving to Beebe.”
As a community-based, not-for-profit healthcare system, Beebe Healthcare depends on the generous support of individuals, corporations, businesses, and private foundations. All gifts to Beebe Healthcare, large or small, are tax-deductible and are channeled through Beebe Medical Foundation. Please consider making a gift today to support the construction of Beebe Healthcare’s South Coastal Health Campus. To make your proud personal donation or to learn more about how Beebe is creating the Next Generation of Care, go to www.nextgenerationofcare.org or contact the Beebe Medical Foundation at 302-644-2900 or foundation@beebehealthcare.org.
