On my desk sits a picture of my mother. Every day, it reminds me why the work in front of me matters.
My desire to work in healthcare began with her. My mom had a natural way of caring for people. She cared deeply for her children, grandchildren and everyone around her. Watching her taught me that even if not at the bedside, my career could carry that same spirit of care.
I graduated from Andrews University in May 2025 and began my career with AdventHealth that August as a leadership resident in Chicago. But the season surrounding that new beginning was the hardest of my life.
A year earlier, my mom was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. Her health declined so quickly that she couldn’t physically attend my graduation. That summer, I went to Orlando for a final internship before moving to Chicago. During this time, cancer spread to her lungs and she was admitted into hospice care.
I was far from home, having to show up to work each day, smiling and trying to meet the expectations of my role. But internally, I was carrying the weight of watching the person I love slip away. I wondered, “If it hurts this much now, how will God hold me together if I lose her?”
On my internship’s final day, days before I planned to move to Chicago, I went home to Ohio. I spent three days beside her in hospice. When I arrived, she could no longer speak or move and seeing her so vulnerable was painful. Still, I believe God gave me the gift of being there. Those three days became the final three days of her life. She passed away Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, hours after I left for Chicago.
Carrying fresh grief into a brand-new city and career, I expected to fall apart. Instead, I recognized how God had prepared what I needed before I arrived. He placed people around me who welcomed me, a church where I felt seen, and leaders at work who showed compassion during the most fragile season of my life. Rather than falling apart, God equipped me with strength.
Today, my mother’s picture reminds me of both her compassion and her pain. Part of what made her decline so quickly was because past experiences had caused her to distrust healthcare. Whether it be for reasons of distrust, financial burden or difficulty in access, there are huge population groups that avoid healthcare when they need it most. That reality shapes the leader I hope to become. It pushes me to create spaces where people are not only treated, but feel seen, heard, loved and safe enough to seek care.
AdventHealth’s mission is Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ. For me, that mission is personal. It lives in the picture on my desk. It lives in the memory of my mother. Little by little, it is shaping how I hope to serve for the rest of my life and accomplish the work that’s in front of me.
Jonathan Lutterodt is a management and operations leadership resident at AdventHealth.