To say that John and Leahray Wroten are partial to Texas Health Resources would be an understatement. The Wrotens have been dedicated to Texas Health Resources, and John has served on the boards of Texas Health Plano and Texas Health Allen for more than 30 years.
Together, they have volunteered hundreds of hours and raised millions of dollars by participating in capital campaigns for both campuses. Today, John Wroten serves as a trusted adviser to the leadership teams at both hospitals and is a member of the Texas Health Resources Collin County Community Impact Leadership Council.
In 2021, the couple made a life-saving decision to help the community of Allen and the North Texas area. The Wrotens provided the lead gift of $300,000 to help Texas Health Allen secure its certification as a Primary Stroke Center. The certification will establish the hospital as the go-to medical facility in Allen and surrounding communities for people suffering a stroke, rather than transferring them to another hospital for care during a time when every second counts.
“I became very frustrated that the ambulance service in Fairview had to divert patients from Texas Health Allen to a stroke-certified hospital,” says John. “Time is critical for a stroke patient and even a one-minute delay can make a huge difference in the patient’s outcome.”
John’s father died from a stroke at a young age, so he knows first-hand how necessary it is to provide prompt care to a stroke patient. The gift from the Wrotens will help the hospital acquire the necessary equipment for the stroke program, as well as other elements needed for official certification which should be completed in within the next year.
The Ties that Bind
Like many, it was a medical issue that led the Wrotens to a thorough appreciation of Texas Health Resource’s healing hands, caring hearts motto. In 1993, Leahray went in for a routine procedure at Texas Health Plano and a chest x-ray was performed. Her doctor found a spot on the lower lobe of her lungs, and they decided to remove it immediately. Sitting with Leahray in the recovery room, John heard the nurse cry out, “Oh no!” and watched him run out of the room. Leahray was bleeding internally after the surgery, and the doctor had left the building. Hospital staff called him as he was driving on the North Dallas Tollway, and he turned the car around and came back to save her life.
Another time, Leahray suffered a heart attack and was sent from Texas Health Allen to Texas Health Plano for surgery. Again, the caring nurses and physicians on the medical staff performed a life-saving procedure on Leahray. John admits he has a habit of “interrogating” the staff each time he accompanies Leahray to the hospital or visits a friend at Texas Health. “I continue to be amazed by the excellence of the hospital staff and the tenure of so many,” he says. “Once they land at Texas Health Resources, they don’t want to practice anywhere else.”
Today, Leahray is 100% healthy and happy to talk about why the Texas Health Resources system means so much to her and her husband. “As you get older, you look for ways to leave a footprint. Texas Health Resources has made such a difference in our lives,” she says. “When you’re blessed, you have a responsibility to help make the world a better place. That’s the way we were brought up. A lot of people practice this – we are just one of many.” To learn more about the Texas Health Allen Primary Stroke Center and how you can contribute, please contact Sarah Higdon Humphrey at SarahHigdon@TexasHealth.org.