When Crystal Swanigan joined Intermountain almost five years ago, she didn’t realize the impact her colleagues she’s never met before would have on her life.
“I came to Utah in 2016 as a single Black mother looking to rebuild my life—something better for me and my kids,” says Crystal. “I started at Intermountain floating as a nutrition services caregiver at Primary Children’s. My people skills, fast thinking, and the way I multitask was noticed and I became team lead really quickly.”
Crystal later transferred to Lake Park and began to work her way into a new leadership role with the nutrition services team there. Unfortunately, in December 2019, Crystal got the call no one wants to get.
“I’d experienced a lot of pain and fatigue since 2017, but doctors kept telling me I was fine, that I should change my diet and move around more. My symptoms got worse and I went in for more testing,” Crystal says. “The doctor called me two days before Christmas, and I’ll never forget it. She said, ‘Hey, we did a biopsy and I’m sorry, it looks like you have cancer. I just hope I caught it in time. Again, I’m sorry. Have a good holiday. Bye.’”
Crystal’s life changed dramatically. In February 2020, she began the scariest fight of her life with 12 weeks of treatment, working a full-time job, and being a full-time single mother. And then, COVID-19 disrupted it even more.
“Lake Park was closed because of the pandemic,” she says. “So, I went from not only fighting for my life but also fighting for my kids’ and my livelihood. As a single mom with cancer, this has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I have to be well enough to keep a job for insurance and financial survival; one or two missed checks for my family may put us on the street. That means making hard decisions and deciding how to make money stretch.”
Crystal reached out for help, for work, money, and PTO. She’s currently working as a greeter at the Employee Services Center and is a recipient of Intermountain’s Caregiver Assistance Fund and PTO Donation program.
“Laurie Westover, retail and catering operations director, was an angel,” Crystal says. “She stepped in and always made sure to get me redeployed so I can receive income. Intermountain’s assistance programs have been a blessing as well. I lost all my PTO because of intense doctors’ appointments and meeting my kids’ needs. I’m emotionally humbled and thankful that people would donate to these programs and share something we all work hard for.”
“As a young Black woman, I always felt I had to fight for so much to be seen or just heard,” she says. “I’ve never really experienced so much support from people who I don’t know. It really makes a person going through something as hard as cancer want to stay in the fight when you have that type of support behind you.”
You can donate to the PTO Donation program or Caregiver Assistance Fund and help caregivers in need like Crystal. This year, Intermountain is matching all donations made to the Caregiver Assistance Fund at 200%.