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A Leap of Faith

Marion resident traveled to Sarah Bush Lincoln for hope and relief.

Though she is a chaplain now, Marion resident Carole Martinez was not always a religious person. Her 20s were a particularly challenging time during which Carole faced many trials and tribulations. “That was a very tough time for me,” she recalled. “My heart was broken, and my spirit was broken.”

After a series of arduous life events, Carole turned to Christianity. She put her faith in God that things would get better, and they did. She and her long-time husband have three children, and she has a satisfying career as a chaplain at Meredith-Waddell Funeral Home in Herrin where she helps families deal with the loss of loved ones.

Now at age 75, Carole has undergone surgeries on her back, knee and hip over the years. Sadly, the last procedure didn’t end well. “I had my knee replaced, but it turned out that my hip was the real problem,” she said. “After the surgery, my leg was black from the kneecap to my groin.”

"I came to Mattoon, not knowing the hospital or the area at all. I just put my faith in Dr. Bonutti. It was getting to the point where it was increasingly more difficult to stand, so what did I have to lose?”

The surgery left her knee in pain, and it started affecting her daily life. “If I was working during a visitation or a funeral, I’d be on my feet for five hours typically,” she explained. “By the end of those five hours, my left leg felt awful.”

Luckily, a few of her friends had had successful surgeries performed by SBL Orthopedic Surgeon Peter Bonutti, MD, and they recommended that Carole trust him with her care. Despite the two-and-a-half hour drive to visit SBL, Carole put her faith in Dr. Bonutti.

Last November, Carole met with Advanced Practice Provider Nick Williams, PA-C, at the SBL Bonutti Clinic in Effingham for a preliminary visit. X-rays revealed the issue: Carole’s left knee was an inch out of place. 

In late July, Carole’s sister drove her to Sarah Bush Lincoln for the surgery. Because she was hours away from home, Carole still had her worries. “I came to Mattoon, not knowing the hospital or the area at all,” she said. “I just put my faith in Dr. Bonutti. It was getting to the point where it was increasingly more difficult to stand, so what did I have to lose?”

Carole recovered well and is back on her feet. She is grateful to Dr. Bonutti and Nick Williams, along with registered nurses Andy Watson and Jeff Repking, who oversaw her recovery in the Health Center. “Everyone I encountered at Sarah Bush Lincoln treated me well, and they made me feel like a princess,” she said. “I would recommend Sarah Bush Lincoln to anyone.”

Before her trip to SBL in July, the only other time Carole had visited Coles County was exactly 50 years prior, when her family dropped her sister off at Eastern Illinois University. Carole believes God brought her back to the area so she could get the relief she needed. “I followed my faith, and everything worked out wonderfully,” she said.  

For more information about SBL Bonutti Orthopedic Clinic in Effingham, call 217 342-3400. To reach SBL Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Mattoon, call 217 238-3435.