Nurses dedicated to community outreach: Blessing boxes, milk bank donations and new technology transform lives

For Shirley Byal, Marla Wilson and Mary Echard, giving back to their communities isn’t just a job — it’s a calling. With more than 120 years of combined nursing experience, these OhioHealth professionals have dedicated their careers to service, finding innovative ways to extend their care beyond traditional roles.

From managing blessing boxes in Kenton, coordinating impactful donor milk programs, or implementing live-saving technology, their efforts touch countless lives daily.

A blessing for all

Shirley Byal, RN, a nurse of 44 years, has served with OhioHealth throughout her career. Based in the Kenton Heart and Vascular office, she found herself inspired to create a greater impact after volunteering at a local food bank.

“I saw hundreds of cars lined up for hours,” Byal said. “It was mind-boggling.”

That experience led Byal to revitalize an abandoned “blessing box” project. With the hospital’s support, she oversaw the construction of multiple new boxes throughout the community, offering nonperishable food, toiletries and even winter essentials like gloves and scarves.

“The motto is ‘take what you need, leave what you can,’” she said. “We have employees who have come and put things in our office to make sure that it's stocked, but within hours, sometimes within minutes, it’s almost gone.”

The blessing boxes serve Kenton’s most vulnerable populations, including homeless individuals and families living in local motels. Community members, hospital staff and organizations like the West Ohio Food Bank contribute regularly.

“It’s a team effort,” Byal emphasized. “There’s a great need out there, and every little bit helps.”

Though Byal plans to retire in 2026, she remains committed to the project. “It’s kind of my baby,” she said. “I will try to stay with it. It's kind of in me now.”

Human milk as medicine

Marla Wilson, BSN, RN, CLC, a nurse for 39 years, began her OhioHealth journey at Grant Medical Center in mother-baby care and lactation support. For the past 11 years, she has served as the nurse donor coordinator at the OhioHealth Mothers’ Milk Bank.

Under her leadership, the milk bank has grown exponentially, now distributing nearly 500,000 ounces of donor milk annually to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across Ohio and beyond.

“It’s estimated that each ounce of milk can feed three preemies a day. So, we equate it to a blood transfusion for a trauma patient,” Wilson explained. “Human milk is medicine for these babies.”

Wilson oversees donor approvals, ensuring each meets the rigorous standards set by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. The OhioHealth milk bank currently works with over 100 active donors monthly, approving between 40 and 60 new donors each month.

One aspect of her role that Wilson holds especially close to her heart is supporting bereaved donors.

“For families who’ve lost babies, we have a beautiful tree where we keep those babies names and just use their milk as a legacy,” she said. “We are hoping to eventually be doing a candlelight service once a year.”

The milk bank’s reach extends far beyond Ohio, serving hospitals in states like Vermont, Missouri and North Carolina.

“We’ve grown 30% in the past three years,” Wilson said. “We’re hoping to eventually have a new facility to meet demand.”

A breath of fresh air  

With just under 40 years of nursing under her belt, Mary Echard MBA, BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, started in Medical-Surgical care but quickly found her passion, Maternity Nursing at Grant Medical Center. Now as an Administrative Nurse Manager at OhioHealth Berger Hospital’s Maternity Unit, she is further proving how nurses in the health system can make a real impact in their communities.

“Being a leader in healthcare has afforded me the opportunity to give back in many ways,” Echard said.

When a newborn baby has trouble breathing, they can often need some assistance in doing so. Mary Echard and her team sought to provide that support.

“Our team works together to stabilize the baby no matter the age,” she said. “Our littlest was 25 weeks.”

To ensure the latest technology was available to support newborns, Mary and her team partnered with OhioHealth Foundation donors. In the Spring of 2024, the care site was able to purchase Bubble CPAP equipment, specific to newborns.

Bubble CPAP is more accurate, easier to control, and more efficient to set up than other types of breathing support. This new equipment is now used at least once a week to keep newborns in the Circleville community safe and healthy.

“The bubble CPAP is so important at a smaller hospital like OH Berger,” Echard said. “It enables us to support and care for our babies until they can be transported to a higher level of care.”

Nursing beyond the bedside

Byal, Wilson and Echard credit nursing for shaping their commitment to community service, beyond bedside care.

“Being able to take that time with donors and recognize their voice,” Wilson said, “I like those relationships.”

Byal echoed that sentiment, reflecting on the daily impact of her blessing boxes. “It's rewarding to see that you're helping someone.” she said.

As these nurses look toward the future—Byal to retirement, Wilson to expanding the milk bank and Echard to continue to improve care for maternity patients —they remain steadfast in their mission to serve and help others do the same.

“I love to support the next generation of nurses and watch them grow professionally,” Echard added.

For these extraordinary women, the legacy of care continues to grow, one blessing at a time.