Miracles, Milestones and Gratitude: The Renner Family's Journey with Baptist Health

Nearly 55 years ago, Brenda and Gary Renner went on their first date at what is seemingly an unusual location: a hospital. As they approach their wedding anniversary, Brenda reflected on their first date to meet her new little sister at their community hospital, and the impact local healthcare has had on their lives since then.

“When I was 17, I was in a bad wreck and pronounced dead,” she said. “I was a medical miracle, but my doctor still tried to talk me out of marrying my husband, Gary, because of the severity of my head injury. Without access to quality medical care, I wouldn’t still be here, and we wouldn’t be so close to celebrating another milestone in our marriage.”

For the Renner family, all care comes back to Baptist Health. From Brenda’s multiple knee replacement surgeries to caring for her 111-year-old grandmother, healthcare has played an essential role in the well-being of their family.

“Healthcare is incredibly important,” she said. “When you are entrusting the care of your loved ones to someone else, you want it to be with people who will treat them as if they were their own family. For me, it wasn’t just one thing they did, it was a multitude of things that added up to be a great experience and improve my quality of life.”

It’s easy for Brenda to spot gratitude all around her because she recognizes the numerous blessings that God has given her, and for her, thankfulness is a pillar of her spirituality.

“God will always be first,” she said. “We’d be in a different world if we helped our fellow man and focused on identifying the good all around us. When you are grateful for what you have and who you have, it can make a world of difference.”  

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