In 2012, Jeff Ferrill nearly lost his life as a result of a rare stomach condition. Arriving at the emergency department at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital with extreme abdominal pain, it took a rapid assessment and emergency surgery by a surgical team headed by Dr. Patrick Jackson to save his life.
It was the beginning of a relationship between Jeff and his wife, Joan, and the physicians at the hospital that has grown stronger every year.
“Due to the complexity of his condition, Jeff required numerous endoscopic interventions after the surgery,” Joan explains. Dr. Nadim Haddad, physician executive director and regional chief of the Department of Gastroenterology, was with the Ferrills throughout their journey.
“He was a great teacher,” she says. “He gave us detailed instructions after every procedure and made sure we understood them. But it took Jeff three long years of hard work to recover enough to resume normal activities.”
After the cutting-edge, life-saving care Jeff received at MedStar Georgetown, the Ferrills felt words were not enough to express their gratitude. So they decided to make a generous philanthropic commitment—helping to make the new Medical/Surgical Pavilion a reality for future patients.
“The providers at MedStar Georgetown are so impressive,” Joan says. “They treat the whole person, not just the condition. We thought it was important for them to have the best space possible in which to care for patients—and for patients to receive that care.”
The Ferrills have gotten to know Dr. Jackson, Dr. Haddad, and other physicians well over the years and have made numerous other gifts of gratitude to support their work. Their philanthropic gifts have helped fund emergency department renovations, improvements to Same Day Surgery, the purchase of gastrointestinal equipment, and provided general support for the surgery, cardiology, and otolaryngology departments. They also continue to give to the Medical/Surgical Pavilion, which will open in the Summer of 2023.
‘We are so grateful to everyone at MedStar Georgetown. It is such a welcoming place…we feel very comfortable there,” Joan adds.