Jennifer Gapuzan thought she’d seen her share of challenges. With four boys ranging from 6 to 26 years old, including her oldest who is autistic and deaf in one ear, her days were already a careful balance of family life, homeschooling and her role as human resources workforce analyst at Wellstar MCG Health. But 2024 was a year that tested her family’s resilience like never before.

“I call this my 2020 year,” Jennifer says. The whirlwind began in July when her mother, a former teacher who homeschooled Jennifer’s younger boys, suffered a tragic accident that left her with a broken neck and caused a heart attack and a stroke. Jennifer found herself juggling hospital visits and homeschooling while also working on launching Wellstar’s Workday finance, human resources and supply chain online platform, all from her mother’s ICU room.

When Hurricane Helene hit in late September, the Gapuzan family’s world turned upside down again. “Four trees fell on our house,” Jennifer recalls. “They hit the garage, the kitchen, the living room and one of my son’s bedrooms. We couldn’t stay in the house. It wasn’t safe.”

Miraculously, nobody was injured. But Jennifer and her family were forced to evacuate to safer ground. Without power or running water, the days that followed were grueling. They lost all their food and relied on a generator to keep the essentials running.

But in the face of this chaos, Jennifer’s Wellstar family came through when they needed it most.

A community that cares

Wellstar, along with our generous donors, provided resources and support to help team members like Jennifer rebuild their lives after crises. Jennifer’s family received gas for their generator, meals from Wellstar’s cafeteria and eventually a place to stay – a downtown hotel that gave them the stability they desperately needed.

“The hotel was a lifesaver,” Jennifer says. “With my oldest son’s autism, routine is critical. Being in one place where we could cook meals and be together as a family made all the difference.”

This sense of stability was essential to the family. The children found comfort in being close to their mother while adapting to their temporary home. They often went to work with Jennifer, sitting in the back of her office so they could access reliable internet for school.

Jennifer’s husband, Jann, who also works at Wellstar MCG Health as a Senior Integrations Architect, stayed behind to guard the house, which had become exposed to the elements. “We had to prop up the garage with wooden beams just to get the car out,” she says. As they tried to piece together their lives, Wellstar’s community was there every step of the way.

“Emails would come in like clockwork,” Jennifer remembers. “They’d tell us where to get meals, gas or other supplies. They communicated, organized and thought of everything so well.”

The family’s temporary home at the Hyatt House turned into a small village of Wellstar team members and neighbors who were also displaced from the storm. They exchanged contractor recommendations, shared meals and leaned on one another for support. Even amidst the destruction, Jennifer found humor and resilience. She recalls a particularly memorable moment with her cat, who tried to drink from a makeshift water bucket set up to catch rain leaking through their damaged roof – and promptly fell in.

“It’s those little things,” she says, laughing. “You have to find the humor where you can.”

Still, the path forward wasn’t easy. Jennifer’s home suffered extensive damage, from crushed walls and ceilings to mold-infested insulation. Insurance hurdles added to the stress, but with the legal services Wellstar offered, Jennifer pushed through the red tape and secured the help her family needed.

“We knew we were never alone in this,” Jennifer says. “From financial assistance to the leadership team checking in on us, Wellstar made us feel like family.”

Finding strength in the struggle
For Jennifer, the hurricane underscored the importance of Wellstar’s mission. “We’ve always been a close-knit community,” she says. “But this experience showed me the depth of Wellstar’s commitment to its people. They don’t just talk about care – they live it.”

The Wellstar Foundation’s Team Member Emergency Assistance Fund is one avenue for helping team members in times of great need. The program is supported by donations from Wellstar team members, physicians and the greater community. This fund has been instrumental in helping employees weather all of life’s storms – both literal and figurative.

“It’s not just about getting through the crisis,” Jennifer says. “It’s about being able to rebuild and move forward.”

As Jennifer reflects on the past few months, she’s both grateful and hopeful. Her home is on the path to repair, thanks to the efforts of a structural engineer and dedicated contractors. In the meantime, she continues to juggle work, family and recovery with the same tenacity that carried her through the storm.

“To everyone who supported us, thank you,” Jennifer says. “Your kindness and generosity gave us the strength to survive and thrive.”

A helping hand in times of trouble can make an immeasurable difference in someone’s life. Through the Team Member Emergency Assistance Fund and the collective efforts of the Wellstar team and donors, families are rebuilding after unimaginable upheaval.

For Jennifer, the experience reinforced what she already knew: the Wellstar family is deeply connected not only by their work, but by their shared commitment to standing by one another when it matters most.

 

Many Wellstar team members continue to navigate life and loss after Hurricane Helene. If you’d like to help those who have remained on the front line of caring for our community, even in the most devastating circumstances, please consider giving to the Team Member Emergency Assistance Fund. Your gift could help support a home or auto insurance deductible, cover unexpected childcare costs, medical costs or other housing-related bills, ensure access to food, gas or water and more.