Garrett Jordan's Dream Job
You couldn’t blame Garrett Jordan if he never wanted to see the inside of Children’s Mercy—or any other hospital—again.
But Garrett, who had 28 facial surgeries at Children's Mercy from birth to age 22, and five more at St. Luke’s for a total of 33 procedures, has returned eagerly to Children's Mercy, first as a volunteer, then for his “dream job” as a full-time Environmental Services technician.
A double cleft palate required Garrett, now 43, to undergo one to two surgeries a year until he was 18, and additional procedures after that.
“I was born with half a face,” he said. “Recovery was long: three weeks to a month after each surgery. But the Children’s Mercy team was very supportive and helpful. Dr. McCoy was one of my doctors.”
(Dr. Frederic McCoy was the first chief of plastic surgery at Children's Mercy and the founder/organizer of our long-standing multidisciplinary Cleft and Craniofacial programs. The Children's Mercy Craniofacial Center is endowed by the McCoy Family Foundation.)
The staff is the major reason Garrett remembers Children's Mercy in a positive light, despite the painful ordeal of multiple surgeries and recoveries.
“The nurses were nice to me,” he said.
Garrett was in the hospital from birth to age 3 months, then raised in foster care until he struck out on his own at age 19. His life’s journey brought him back to Children's Mercy, where he volunteered on the second and fourth floors of the Adele Hall Campus, then landed a part-time job with Children's Mercy Environmental Services, later moving to full-time.
“I’m happy to get my dream job,” he said. “I never thought it would come true.”
The Emergency Department is Garett’s favorite spot to work in. “I used to watch a lot of ER shows on TV,” he said.
An 'inspiration'
Garrett’s supervisor, Sherita Gant-Gillmore, said, “Garrett is a hard worker who is definitely dedicated to his job here at Children's Mercy. His main objective is to give back to the place that gave him so much. Garrett is an inspiration to me and countless others here at Children's Mercy. He makes me proud to be part of his team and as his manager, I can’t say enough great things about him.”
Garrett married his wife, Dianne, in May 2019, and the couple enjoy traveling, including a recent trip to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Garrett describes himself as “success story,” and that’s why he agreed to share his story.
“I want to reach out to people to let them know I really enjoy Children's Mercy and always wanted to work here. I finally got my dream job and it’s a great place to work.”
