Our Stories

Ryan O’Sullivan has been a Consultant Systems Engineer with HCA Healthcare in Tennessee for over seven years. He also lives with a disease called osteomalacia, often referred to as “soft bone disease.” Treatment for his illness has included complex surgeries and procedures.

In his most recent procedure, he experienced severe complications – a pulmonary embolism – and was hospitalized and out of work for a month. He had already taken extended time off due to his illness earlier in the year, so this month-long leave was mostly unpaid. Ryan and his husband fell behind on bills and began to worry about how they would afford their basic necessities.

“When someone is stressed, it eats you alive,” he said. Fortunately, Ryan remembered learning about the Hope Fund during his new employee orientation, and he applied for help. He said receiving assistance from his colleagues through the Hope Fund “put me in the right mental space to be able to fight, so I could focus on getting better.”

“Thank you to everybody who gives,” Ryan said, “because the Hope Fund is a lifesaver – not just for me, but for the tens of thousands of folks who have been helped. It kept our basic needs met – groceries in the fridge, electricity going – it is a really awesome way HCA Healthcare shows we care for one another.”

To his colleagues who may be in crisis, Ryan said, “Things can change in the blink of an eye, and there’s no shame in asking for help. Someday, you will pay it forward.” He encourages his HCA Healthcare family across the company to apply for help if needed and to give even a few dollars per pay period to help their colleagues struggling with unexpected financial hardships.