Lynda McDermott tried to stay true to one of the philosophies she was taught in nursing school more than two decades ago.
“Don’t get personal with the patients,” McDermott recalls. “Stay detached so you can be professional.”
But McDermott eventually made connections with the families of the patients for whom she was caring. One family, in particular, was an 8-year-old girl, whose mother was diagnosed with cancer.
“I had a tough time with her suffering,” McDermott said.
The mother was living in discomfort and McDermott, an RN at Gifford since 2000, wanted to help. McDermott thought about providing her with a massage, but she wasn’t going to ask the family for money. A fundraiser was the only way to make that happen.
In 2006, McDermott read an article in The Herald of Randolph about the Vermont Thunder motorcycle club hosting a fundraiser. McDermott herself had been riding motorcycles for about 15 years. The article motivated her to speak with Gifford’s CEO at the time, Joe Woodin. She convinced him that despite some misconceptions, the motorcycle riding community is willing to help others in need. From there, the Last Mile Ride was born. Throughout the years, a 5k run, walk, and bicycle ride have been added to the event.
“It’s more than met my expectations,” McDermott said. “People have been able to help mold this piece of clay to become the Last Mile that we see today.”
In 2006, Lynda McDermott began the Last Mile event we see today.
The first event in 2006, raised about $7,000. Now, entering its 16th year, the Last Mile has raised more than a million dollars for end-of-life care at Gifford. The money helps lift the burden off of families who have become the caregivers, allowing them to can go back to their primary role of being a wife, husband, child, or grandchild.
“It becomes like last wishes,” McDermott said. “It’s the last time you may get to see that granddaughter who lives in Texas. And that’s the miracle of Last Mile that we share with them.”
After going all virtual in 2020, Last Mile returns to an in-person event with a bike ride on Saturday, August 14, the 5k run, and 1 or 2.5-mile walk through Randolph Village on Friday, August 20, and the 80-mile motorcycle ride through central Vermont on Saturday, August 21.
“A lot of smart people helped me with his ride and the events that have grown out of it and we can do it together,” McDermott said.
Today, nurses are trained to take a more kind-hearted approach when working with patients and their families. They can follow in the tracks of Lynda McDermott, whose small idea for a motorcycle fundraiser has evolved into a three-day event, where compassion leads the way.
