Tribute to Jill
Once in awhile, a person comes into our lives who, for lack of a better term, “touches” everybody she meets along the way. Jill Lambert Bane was one of those unique individuals.
Over ten years ago, when Champion Fitness Physical Therapy was in its early stages, I hired Jill as an Athletic Trainer. She was fresh out of college, and I remembered her from her softball days in high school. She was young, vibrant, full of energy, and she seemed to be able to “connect” with the patients she was seeing. Little did I know at the time the impact she would have.
Jill knew people by name, she knew their families, and she knew just exactly the right way to make a therapy session go right, simply by letting her patients co-exist. Making those patients feel important day after day, treatment after treatment, was probably her biggest asset as a therapist.
She especially bonded with athletes, primarily with the football players. They may have looked at her as a good-looking woman who was taking care of them; she, however, was more like their “Big Sister,” forever watching out for their benefit and working with them feverishly to get them back onto the playing field as quickly as possible.
Jill was always one to speak her mind, and she wasn’t afraid to butt heads if the situation called for it. It happened with me, it happened with coaches, and it happened with the athletes themselves. In her mind, she had a plan of care that needed to be followed because the interest and well-being of her patient came first always….something we at Champion profess all of the time.
I remember the hope in her heart when she told me she was going back to school to become a Physical Therapist Assistant and the proud smile she wore when she achieved that goal. I can still envision the twinkle in her eyes and the excitement in her voice when she began to bring up Parker’s name. I also recall the absolute joy she had when she told us about Baby Ella. And so did the others here at Champion, because Jill was one who bonded with everybody…patient, employer, and co-workers. She made everybody else in the room better by being the example to follow, not the exception to the rule.
When we learned Jill was sick, we all said the same things—”It’s not fair!” “It’s not right!” “It can’t be!” “She’s too young!” In the meantime, she was faced with the task of battling a deadly disease the only way she knew how—head on. Cancer doesn’t play by the rules, but even cancer knew that Jill Lambert Bane was one of the toughest fighters it’s ever had to tangle with. Jill fought with every ounce of her spirit and her soul and her mind until the end…things that cancer could never take away from her.
We’ve lost Jill…and all of us at Champion…and all of the patients she touched…all of her co-workers she touched….and all of the communities she touched….are still very sad. We’re sad because we can’t touch her anymore. However, her spirit, her mind, and her soul will continue to touch us all in one way or another, whether it be through Parker…or Ella…or her steadfastly loyal family.
I’m just glad she worked for us because Jill Lambert Bane is a true Champion.
