It was an ordinary day as “Mrs. Baraba” walked into the Samaritan Center in Ooltewah, Tenn. Her afternoon shopping was simple — a cushion cover for her outdoor chairs. But, something felt off. A bit light-headed and weak, she wasn’t sure if it was from skipping breakfast or her poor night of sleep. She browsed quietly, internally debating whether to visit the Community Corner.
Earlier, she had noticed a free health fair hosted by the nursing students of Southern Adventist University at the Samaritan Center in the Community Corner. As she left the store, she hesitated in the lobby, still pondering her options, when two students approached her and asked if she’d like to come in for a quick check on her vitals. It was that small moment of compassion that made all the difference.
The students took her blood pressure and immediately knew something was wrong. Alarmed by her dangerously low pulse and extremely high blood pressure, they called over their professor, John Singleton. He confirmed their findings and told “Mrs. Baraba” she needed to go to the emergency room immediately.
She called her son, and together they went to a local emergency room. After a series of tests and medications, the hospital transferred “Mrs. Baraba” to Memorial Hospital in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn. They monitored her symptoms overnight, and by morning, her doctor determined that she needed a pacemaker. Within days of her surgery, her condition stabilized, and “Mrs. Baraba” returned home — grateful, humbled, and alive.
“Had those students not been there that day, I might not be here today,” said “Mrs. Baraba.”
That moment was more than a medical emergency; it’s a testimony to what partnerships with the Samaritan Center are about — meeting people where they are, offering help beyond the expected, and changing lives through service and compassion.
The Samaritan Center’s ongoing partnership with Southern Adventist University offers nursing students each semester to practice their skills and live out a deeper calling: to care, to serve, and sometimes — to save lives.
Together, they continue to turn everyday visits into extraordinary stories of help for today and hope for tomorrow. That is the mission of the Samaritan Center.
Georgia-Cumberland | June 2025
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