Jacqueline Wright
Jacqueline Wright posted a condolenceMemories of My Dear Friend Toula
Toula had one of the biggest hearts of anyone I ever met. She would truly “give you the shirt off her back.” She was loving, giving, honest and straightforward. She lived with honor and integrity and I was so happy to have known her and that we were friends for more than 40 years.
Once when she was working at Providence Hospital _Southfield, we had plans that evening. She called and explained although she had finished her shift, she could not leave work because a patient there insisted that she was dying that night, so Toula sat with her, at the request of this lady, she called the patient’s family to come to the hospital. The case doctor and the head nurse told Toula the lady was sick but did not expect her to die… but Toula stayed anyway. The lady took Toula’s hand and thanked her for staying with her. Toula actually got up in the bed with her and soon, without the family arriving in time, the patient died as Toula held her tightly and helped her to make her transition to the hereafter. Another time, a patient was crying and Toula walked in her room. “What is wrong?” The lady explained she did not have anything to give her family members for Christmas and no money. Toula managed to get permission to take the patient to the hospital gift store. The patient picked out the gifts she needed for her family and yes, you guessed it …Toula paid for everything. As for myself, personally, she helped me more times than I can count, including on occasions, saving my life and I mean literally. One night I was feeling very weak, and quite sick. I could barely get off the couch except to get meals for my kids. I called Toula at work at Novi Emergency and told her there was something wrong with me. When her shift ended she came directly to my home, took my vitals and promptly picked up the phone. I heard her say “yes, it is life threatening.” Off we went to Providence Hospital _Southfield where they began giving me blood transfusions as my hemoglobin had dropped to five. I was certainly in trouble and at death’s door. Toula saved my life that day. She was much more that a just true and loyal friend.
There are more stories like these of what a wonderful person Toula was. Once when she was a young, single mother, with two daughters living in Michigan, homeless and on her own, a kind doctor (she worked for) and his wife helped her out in many ways and she told them she could never repay them for their kindness; they replied she owned them nothing, but in the future she could help someone else. In other words they wanted her to “pay it forward” and she sure did over and over again whenever the opportunity presented itself. I can only hope I can be the type of person she was and pay all the goodness and love she showed me forward to others. When Toula loved she did so with all her heart and to whoever may be reading this, if you were one of the fortunate people she loved you are blessed. If you are not a person in her life, then you missed out on knowing an amazing person. May she be at peace now, without pain and enjoying the life she dreamed of with family and friends full of joy, laughter and especially love. My sweet, faithful friend you will be missed but NEVER FORGOTTEN. Love you, Jackie