The gift shop was another family
affair. Edie Wilcox, Mabel's niece, also
worked in the shop with her daughter,
Deborah Wilcox Pratt. Deborah's
son, Bill, remembers growing up
playing there. It was such a big part of
Deborah's life that her family (David,
Sam and Bill) later made a donation to
name it after her. “We lost our mother
to cancer when I was 17,” Bill said. “I
distinctly remember a telephone
conversation when she was in the
medical center, the night before she
died, and she said, ‘This is where I'm
from, I don’t want to be anywhere else.’
That’s why it’s extremely personal and
important to us to support this type
of development of acute care so that
people don’t have to leave [the island].”
Kelley Carswell feels the same way. Her
mother Gale, a Wilcox descendant,
“I can’t imagine that those
involved from the beginning
could have imagined what
Wilcox Medical Center is
today. It has come so far in
technology and treatment.
It’s rewarding to know
that our family had an
opportunity to play a part
in that work."
recently passed away. The loss has raised
her awareness of health care on Kaua‘i and
what it meant to her mom. “She saw the
progression over time and was very proud
of the improvements in health care here,”
said Kelley, who is a registered nurse. Kelley
and the Carswell family, the Pratt family,
Dr. Goodale and Kathy Richardson are all
Wilcox descendants who are contributing
to the Wilcox 80 th Anniversary campaign to
fund emergency care and expand trauma
services. “The majority of people come
through the emergency room and people
are definitely going to need it at some
point," Kelley said. "So improving its space
or capabilities is just huge.”
S A M P R AT T
LEFT TO RIGHT: Wilcox Health
Foundation Director Andy Bestwick; David
Pratt; Kathy Richardson; Bill Pratt; Sam
Pratt; Dr. Richard Goodale; Wilcox CEO Jen
Chahanovich. These Wilcox family members,
and Kelley Carswell and family (not
pictured) made a combined gift of $125,000
to the 80 th Anniversary Campaign.
For the Wilcox ‘ohana, supporting the
hospital comes in many forms, from major
gifts to leadership roles. A Wilcox family
member has actively served on the hospital
or foundation board ever since the hospital
opened more than 80 years ago. David
Pratt, husband of the late Deborah Wilcox
Pratt, was the hospital board chair for 20 years
and directly affected Wilcox’s future planning.
“For the merger of the clinic and the hospital,
which took about five years to negotiate, we
had to bring all the doctors together,” David
said. “The big capital campaign for a major
expansion was a $20 million project that
led to a three-story building that included
additional long-term care beds. I also started
the conversations to join Kap‘iolani Medical
Center [now Hawai‘i Pacific Health], which
they finalized when I retired. It was a good
move.”
“I can’t imagine that those involved from the
beginning could have imagined what Wilcox
Medical Center is today,” Sam said. “It has
come so far in technology and treatment. It’s
rewarding to know that our family had an
opportunity to play a part in that work.” The
work is not over. But fortunately, it seems
philanthropy, service and a passion for
upholding the health of the community run
in the Wilcox family. And for this, generations
of Kaua‘i families are grateful.
8
INSPIRE
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