Before Longmont United Hospital’s last renovation, a piano sat in its reception area. The piano offered a place to gather to listen to talented musicians play soothing music. During the renovation, the piano was removed and never returned leaving a disappointed community at the hospital. On Friday, a piano was dedicated to the hospital by one of its staff in memory of her mother.
When Josh Atherton began his position at the Longmont United Hospital Foundation he wanted to learn more about the community. He began talking to people and quickly learned that one of the most missed items at the hospital was a piano that stood in the reception area of the hospital.
People in the community loved to gather around the piano and listen to others play for hours, Atherton said.
Atherton heard the community’s wishes and began searching for a piano. He soon discovered the task to be a challenge. He searched social media marketplaces and found some posting to be false while others asked for prices outside of the foundation’s budget.
He stumbled on a post for a Young Chang baby grand piano in Longmont. While the price was outside his budget, he made the effort to inquire about the piano anyway. He discovered that it belonged to Pam Fuller, a staff member at LUH.
The piano had belonged to Dr. Kathy Guiterrez who had been a nurse practitioner and education in Denver. She retired in 2020 and made Longmont her home. In her retirement, she volunteered at the hospital. Guiterrez died in Decemeber.
Fuller didn’t know what to do with the piano. The instrument held sentimental memories for her and her family but was a large item to store and keep up with. When Fuller heard that the hospital wanted to replace the piano in the reception area, she decided to donate it in her mother’s memory.
On Friday, the hospital held a small dedication ceremony. Dr. Dale Sherrod played “Amazing Grace” on the new piano and a plaque to Guiterrez was placed nearby.
Atherton was excited that the hospital’s community was able to regain a piece of its history that spread joy and comfort.
