Jamie Brozman

My Proud Story...

I started at St. Luke’s at 20 years old. Inventory control is not a glamorous job but a vital key to our patients’ needs and health. I started as a part-time employee stocking the dressing carts. I happened to meet my soul-mate and husband while working at St. Luke’s, who also works in inventory control.

One day I was challenged by my manager to finish the dressing carts promptly and help with the outside orders. I accepted the challenge and hurried to the floors. I had 26 carts to stock that night on many floors. I reached the second to last floor. I was down to my last 5 carts and I had to use the nearest restroom.

While washing up, I reached for the soap and bumped my left hand… with my engagement ring. I looked to find the stone missing, sink running, toilet flushed, and no stone. My heart sank... I finished my last 5 carts, and humbly returned to the storeroom. My fiancé was there working, and I was embarrassed to show him what had happened.

We called security just in case someone would find it. I reached out to the jeweler the next day since it had just been in for cleaning and adjustment. They proudly stood for their work and replaced my stone free of charge. I decided to remove my ring while at work from that point on.

I changed jobs a few months after that incident and worked off-site for the print shop. I occasionally came back to the storeroom for projects. One day I got a call from my manager; can you work extra hours to make some major changes to the products in the dressing carts? I eagerly said yes and away I went.

Many dressings had changed, new labels needed to be made, and of course I decided to clean the carts from top to bottom. Each cart takes about one hour to fully clean and update. I went cart by cart, and eventually got down to the last 5 carts.

As I was removing all of the products to clean, replace and re-label soemthing caught my eye – a shine and a sparkle. I backed up, said “no way, oh my gosh, no way...” By the second “no way” a nurse asked me if everything was ok? I said “yes, but I can’t believe what I just found.” She had to get up to see what it was. I pulled the drawer out, and to our surprise in the corner was a diamond!

She said there is no way that is real… it’s probably a fake stone. I started to tear up and she asked what was wrong. I told her my story of losing a stone years ago. She said no way, it can’t be. It’s just not possible. So she gave me an envelope and I took that little gem with me.

I found my fiancé and told him. I took the stone to get checked by the jeweler. The jeweler confirmed it was the same size, color and clarity as the others in my ring. It had to be my stone. Since it had been replaced two years earlier, the jeweler made my husband an earring which he proudly wears to this day.

The moral of the story is that sometimes things are meant to be, trusting, believing and having faith are all part of the journey. I believe I was destined to work for St. Luke’s. Because of my job, I found my husband and I have a strengthened faith and passion for the place I work. Sometimes caring for our patients comes down to the small, not so pleasant tasks in life, such as cleaning carts, but in all tasks is purpose and rewards. The reward for working in the rough was a long lost diamond. St. Luke’s is my diamond in the rough – and it was meant to be!

Jamie Brozman
Inventory Control Clerk
Hired in 2001