SFP Resident Mary Donatelli is in the Pocono Record!

In today's Pocono Record:
Forget about former Baltimore Orioles infielder Cal Ripken Jr. and his 2,632 consecutive games record. He can't come close to touching Pocono Medical Center's Miss Mary.

Mary Donatelli just celebrated her 93rd birthday. She's a volunteer at PMC — and she's been doing it seven days a week, 365 days a year for 30 years. That's nearly 11,000 days.

Donatelli is best known as Miss Mary. Some at the hospital refer to her as the Mother Teresa of PMC.

"She truly is the cutest little thing God ever created, because she goes around hugging and kissing people, and truly lives her faith, with honesty, humility, sincerity and doing good works," said Dr. Nancy Gabana, who works in the hospital's emergency room.

Donatelli was born Mary Spagnola in Bangor on Feb. 15, 1917, at the height of World War I. Her birth reflected the era, "with a midwife with no water, just a pump, and a coal lamp," she said. The midwife carried her downstairs in her apron to show her to her dad.

She attended school at the Roosevelt Building in Bangor, but had to quit after seventh grade at age 14.

"My father was ill and I had to go to work in a factory making men's shirts," she said.

As a youngster, she was athletic. "We played all kinds of sports in gym class, including baseball," she said. "I was always outside playing, and loved all sports."

Donatelli was married in 1940 at age 23 to Leonard Donatelli, whom she met in the factory.

"We were married 26 years, and I was widowed at the age of 50 with four children, one son and three daughters," she said.

An East Stroudsburg resident, Donatelli walked to work until about three years ago, when she turned 90.


"Now they won't let me any more. I always get a ride, sometimes the hospital security officers come pick me up," she said.

Donatelli came to the hospital in 1980 to work the Red Cross blood drives and still does. "I just wanted to give of my time and help people, so I started volunteering," she recalled.

Donatelli gets to the hospital at 4:45 a.m. every day of the year, holidays included.

"I am busy all over, in every department. I deliver mail, flowers, work the front desk, answer phones and go wherever they need me," she said.

When she started 31 years ago, the hospital was much smaller and more intimate, she said. "Everyone knew everyone. Today, you can't help people like you want to because of the HIPPA laws, and you lose the friendship and intimacy because it is much more difficult because of all the privacy acts."

As for her staying power, Donatelli attributes it to her Catholic faith.

"Without faith, I wouldn't be talking to you. Every step I take, I say, 'Jesus, I love you; Jesus, I thank you.' I eat very healthy, fresh foods, always got my exercise walking everywhere, and never took any medications," she said.

"Volunteering at PMC is good for me mentally and physically. I enjoy meeting people of all cultures and through all my years here that has been a great gift from God. It is extremely rewarding and fulfilling for me to do for others during my time on this earth."


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