We recently reconnected with former patient and lifelong Chicagoan Dennis Conway. Denny, now 79 and a retired Chicago Public School math teacher, was an inpatient at La Rabida for a period of 8 months in 1952 and 1953 when he was treated for rheumatic fever.
During Denny’s eight month stay at La Rabida, he remembers movie nights, receiving four hormone shots daily, then two hours of activity after strict bed rest for weeks. Eventually, he graduated to no restrictions at all and could be out of bed whenever he wanted – something he appreciated a lot. “I’ve never been one to be good at sitting around. I’m always moving,” shared Denny.
Denny continued his follow-up care at La Rabida until his teen years.
His mother, Julia Conway, became dedicated to fundraising for La Rabida and did so with the Variety Club, which “adopted” La Rabida and highlighted patients in movie trailers, typically before double features.
Denny remembers his mother traveling to “almost every movie theater in and around Chicago” to garner support for the children of La Rabida. She became so busy with the endeavor in the 1950’s, the Conway’s had to install a second home telephone for Julia to organize other volunteers in her fundraising efforts for the hospital.
On August 22, 1958, Denny and his mom attended the Bob Hope Testimonial Banquet which raised funds for La Rabida. Denny has the program to this day with Mr. Hope and Jack Benny’s autograph on the cover.
Denny and his wife Debbie are now retired and live in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood. They have 8 children and are expecting their 20th grandchild next month.
Denny credits La Rabida for his healing at the time and says “I have had a blessed life and my mom was a real champion for La Rabida and its patients.”
The Conway’s have supported our mission for over three decades and we are grateful for their continued support for the “gem on the lake.”
Denny, second from the left, helping paste commemorative stamps illustrating highlights of medical history in the fight against heart disease into an album.
