Tom & Michele Vana
Tom and Michele Vana understand the importance of having advanced healthcare close to home. The couple chose to bequest the Silver Cross Foundation a transformational gift to support Will County’s first and only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Silver Cross Hospital. The new NICU which opened in 2022 provides lifesaving care for premature newborns and full-term babies with congenital disorders.
In recognition of their generous support, Silver Cross named the Amy, Matthew and Jay Vana Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Silver Cross Hospital after the couple’s triplets.
This project was especially close to their hearts. The Vana’s want to make sure that other parents don’t have to experience what went through - the stress and anxiety of making the long trip back and forth to Chicago for months to be with their tiny, sick newborns every minute of every day for months. Tom and Michele’s investment ensures that their children, grandchildren and families throughout Will County and beyond will have access to the very best neonatal care nearby.
This is the Vana’s second significant gift to Silver Cross. In 2017, along with Tom’s mother Marilyn Kurtz, they supported in the enhancement of the hospital’s emergency services and paramedic-training program.
Tom and Michele’s close ties to Silver Cross date back more than three decades when they met in Silver Cross Hospital’s Emergency Department. Michele was working as a nurse and Tom as a paramedic for his family’s business – Kurtz Ambulance Service.
After trying to start a family for several years, the couple was overjoyed to learn they were expecting triplets. At the same time, they were anxious as this was considered a high-risk pregnancy and delivery required a level of care not available at any nearby hospitals. After 29 weeks, Michele went into premature labor delivering Amy, Jay, and Matthew on Oct. 10, 1995. Each weighed less than two pounds and required months of intensive care.
“It was very difficult as our babies didn’t all come home at the same time.” said Michele. “Tom would come relieve me after working a 24-hour shift so I could go home to take care of Amy and Jay who both needed extra care. After eight weeks, I went back to work in the ER. We were exhausted traveling back and forth downtown, but weren’t going to leave our tiny, helpless babies. They were and are our world.”
“This is our way of saying thank you to Silver Cross for all the support and friendship they have shown our family over the years,” added Tom.
Video: Thomas J. and Michele Vana – 2022 Silver Cross Sangmeister Medal of Excellence Recipients
