A Note From Lisa
Seasons Greetings, all! Lisa here-
Christmas is almost here, and I sincerely hope you are enjoying the season with friends and family!
During this time of the year, my thoughts always turn to my late mother-in-law, Stella. I know I’ve mentioned her before in our newsletters- her impact upon me personally cannot be overstated. She was such a force for good, and I miss her dearly.
To paint a picture of who she was, I want to give you a little background on this interesting, dynamic woman…
Stella planned on going to medical school after earning her undergraduate degree in biology, but WWII changed her plans. She ended up as a chemist for Firestone rubber company researching tensile strength. After researching for Firestone, she worked on a series of government-funded research projects.
She earned her doctorate of biochemistry on scholarship at the University of North Carolina, and afterward researched and taught at several universities, including right here at UCLA and USC.
In the mid-sixties, Stella and her husband Jim started Newport Center Orthopedic and built its success, not upon tangible product and profits, but service. During this time, she lost her husband Jim suddenly and rose to the challenge of raising their two young sons while running the family business.
From the very start, she took the time to learn everything she could about the needs of her customers and established herself as an expert at fitting products for lymphedema and mastectomy.
While she was still here, on more than one occasion, customers would come to the store with a prescription, but instead of a list of pills or medications, it would just say, “Go see Stella..”
Of course, her sons grew to adulthood (one of which I fell in love with and married), and we are all carrying on her legacy of service and genuine, authentic caring for others. We now have customers who have trusted us with their medical needs for more than 40 years, and they have become family. Being a part of someone’s life is a gift in and of itself- but being part of someone’s journey to healing is truly special.
As the new year approaches, many of us will be making resolutions to better ourselves. I can think of no better resolution than to go forth and be that person in someone else’s life who inspires them to live life fully, love with everything they’ve got, and be the kindest they can be. In short, be someone’s Stella.
Thank you so much for allowing us to serve you- you’re the reason we honestly do love to come to work every day. Have a very happy holiday season; we hope your 2020 is full of laughter, love, and productivity!
As always, take good care.