The da Vinci Surgical System is an important next step in patient care at Spectrum Health," said Linda Fox (left), director of perioperative services at the Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center. Pictured with Mrs. Fox (left to right) are donor Mickie Fox (no relation to Linda Fox), Dr. David Dull, medical director of perioperative services; donor Tom Fox; and Jim Wilson, vice president of clinical operations for Spectrum Health, standing by the first da Vinci component, the robotic arm surgical unit and operating table.
"Without this most generous gift from the Tom and Mickie Fox family, Spectrum Health would not be able to purchase the da Vinci at this time," said Jim Wilson, vice president of clinical operations for Spectrum Health.
"We believe it will differentiate our heart and cancer programs by giving us the ability to provide services only available at major health care centers across the U.S.," he said.
"The da Vinci Surgical System represents state-of-the-art technology. We are deeply indebted to the Fox family."
"We believe it will differentiate our heart and cancer programs by giving us the ability to provide services only available at major health care centers across the U.S.," he said.
"The da Vinci Surgical System represents state-of-the-art technology. We are deeply indebted to the Fox family."
State-of-the-Art da Vinci Surgical System
Made Possible by Fox Family Gift
Made Possible by Fox Family Gift
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Tom and Mickie Fox
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We Love This Community
Tom and Mickie Fox recently made a $1 million gift from the Fox family to the Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center. "We love this community," said Tom Fox. "It's our way of saying thank you."
Their gift makes possible the purchase of the state-of-the-art da Vinci Surgical System, a surgical robotic device used in open-heart surgeries and prostate cancer surgeries at Spectrum Health.
Last year, the Fox family made a $1 million gift to the DeVos Children's Hospital because they love children and because they believe in giving back. "This community has been very, very good to us, which makes us want to give back in a way that will help many people."
Lifelong residents of Grand Rapids, Tom Fox was born at Butterworth Hospital and Mickie Fox and all four of their children and six grandchildren were born at Blodgett Memorial Medical Center.
Well-known throughout the Midwest for the family-owned retail jewelry business, now Thomas S. Fox Diamond Jewelers, the Foxes are grateful for their success and enjoy sharing it in ways that help others. They toured the Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center in November 2004, weeks before it opened, and were impressed with what they saw.
"Everything was so sparkling new, so state-of-the-art," said Mickie Fox. "In the back of Tom's mind, he started thinking about a gift to the Meijer Heart Center because we could see it is a first-class facility."
"We also respect Fred and Lena Meijer for all they've done for this community," said Tom Fox. "We wanted to honor them by showing our support for the Meijer Heart Center because of its value not only to Grand Rapids but also to the entire region."
While Tom and Mickie Fox are healthy and active and have never needed the services of the Meijer Heart Center, they want to make sure they're available for those who do. "Hopefully, we'll never be patients here," said Mr. Fox, "but if we are, we know we'll receive the best care available anywhere. Both of us hope our legacy is that we lived a long, long time."
In gratitude to the Fox family for this significant gift, the seventh floor of the Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center has been named the Tom and Mickie Fox Cardiovascular Unit.
Articles originally appeared in "Spectrum Health Foundations" and "DeVos Children's Hospital Foundation" newsletters.
Our thanks to them for the text and photos here.
