Purple Angels: 70 Years of Hospital Volunteers Going Strong

For nearly 70 years, a special group of volunteers has been the heart and soul of Fayette County's hospital, and they're not stopping now.

The Purple Angels, as they're affectionately known, began in 1957 with 58 charter members at Fayette Memorial Hospital. Their mission was simple: make the hospital feel like home and support their community through every healthcare challenge.

Back then, they wore cherry red pinafores. Today, they wear purple uniforms that earned them their angelic nickname. But the dedication has never changed.

"We just rolled with the flow and said, 'We're here, what can we do,'" remembers Mary Kahanek, now vice president of the volunteer group. She recalls the early days when the waiting room was so tiny that patients sometimes had to wait in X-ray rooms.

The volunteers do everything from helping families find their way around to offering comfort during difficult times. They strip beds, sanitize rooms, bring snacks to worried families in waiting areas, and simply listen when someone needs an ear.

Karen Forest joined in 2006 after watching friends and family members navigate hospital visits when her husband was sick. "I felt like it was paying it forward," she says. She worked everywhere from the emergency room to the recovery area, always finding ways to ease someone's burden.

When St. Mark's Medical Center closed in 2023, the community worried their hospital days were over. But the Purple Angels kept serving, manning booths at community events, collecting food for Thanksgiving drives, and bringing treats to EMS workers.

The Ripple Effect

Now Progressive Health of Fayette is opening a new hospital, and the Purple Angels are already involved in planning discussions. The hospital leadership sees them as essential members of the care team, not just helpers.

"They want to help us recover from that loss," says Nancy Muil, president of the volunteer group. "They realize rural health care is just as important as metropolitan health care."

New volunteers like Nancy and her husband Robb, who joined in 2021, have found more than a way to give back. They've found friendship, purpose, and community connection that enriches their own lives while improving others.

The Purple Angels prove that the most powerful medicine sometimes comes not from a prescription, but from a caring presence in purple scrubs.