Serving gratefully

Louraine's 10th anniversary on the Development Advisory Board in Marble Falls coincides with a personal milestone.

Before construction crews even broke ground on Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Marble Falls, Louraine Robertson was one of many community members working to make the hospital a reality.

This year, Louraine celebrates ten years of service on the Foundation’s Development Advisory Board for Marble Falls—and 10 years cancer-free. 

Overcoming cancer

After coming home from a party one evening in 2013, Louraine found blood in her stool. A colonoscopy revealed she had rectal cancer.

“I remember vividly when the doctor told me I had cancer,” Louraine said. “It was at 5:15 PM on the day after my colonoscopy, and she said I needed to see a specialist right away.”

Louraine knew she wanted to stay within the Baylor Scott & White system, but the hospital in Marble Falls was still in its planning stages at the time. Instead, Louraine traveled to Temple for her treatment. Rather than make the almost two-hour drive every day from their home in Horseshoe Bay, Louraine and her husband John stayed in Temple for two months while she underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments, followed by surgery a few weeks later in November 2013. A month later, tests showed she was finally cancer-free.

Although she wears an ostomy bag, Louraine says she can do anything she wants. She is very active and well-known in her community, heading up bridge groups and bingo, volunteering at the local community theater and participating in water aerobics. She was even named First Citizen of the Year by the Horseshoe Bay Business Alliance in 2017.

Ten years of service

Soon after her surgery, Dr. Bob Shafer, who was chairman of the Development Advisory Board, asked Louraine to join the board that was fundraising to help build Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Marble Falls.

“He said I would be a great fit because I was a testimony of what they were trying to do—bring quality, specialized healthcare to our community so that people didn’t have to travel like I did,” Louraine said.

Grateful for the care she had received at Baylor Scott & White, Louraine joined the board in January 2014 and celebrated with the community when the hospital opened in 2015. Over the past decade, she has helped raise funds for various projects at the hospital, including the expansion of the hematology/oncology department. She also served as board chairman for several years and is a member of the Foundation’s Communities Connected womens’ giving society.

“There’s always someone out there you can help in some way. I’m happy to share my experience, whether it moves someone to give or helps someone going through the same thing,” Louraine said. “I’m proud to be an ambassador for the hospital and to give whenever they have a need.”