For Gary and Linda Speet, Holland Hospital isn’t just part of their community, it’s part of their lives, their history, and even their family legacy. Both born in Holland and raised just steps from the hospital, they often joke that they’ve been neighbors with Holland Hospital longer than most people have been alive. “We lived only a block apart,” Gary said. “The hospital was always right there with us.”
Gary and his identical twin brother, Larry, were born at Holland Hospital in 1945. In a story the family still laughs about, the doctor delivered Larry and thought the job was done until a nurse announced, “There’s one more here.” Decades later, Larry spent his final days in the same hospital, cared for with compassion that Gary still remembers with gratitude. “They were so wonderful during his last days. It really came full circle.”
Their family’s connection runs even deeper. Gary’s grandfather once owned the creamery that stood where the hospital now sits, and over the years the hospital purchased several family properties, sometimes even moving the homes rather than tearing them down. “We’ve always been good neighbors,” Gary said.
That lifelong bond took on new meaning when Linda needed wound‑care treatment. For months, the couple visited the wound clinic every Monday morning. Linda remembers how attentive and proactive the team was throughout her healing process. “They acted right away,” she said. “They cared about me and took the time to make sure everything was done right.” Gary added, “The entire team was outstanding. We felt like they were our best friends.”
Their gratitude inspired them to give back. Wanting to honor Larry’s memory and support the team who cared for Linda, they donated a new chair for Holland Hospital’s Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine now known affectionately as Larry’s chair. “When we saw the chair with his plaque, it brought me a lot of happiness,” Gary said. “We just wanted to do something for the people who took such good care of us.”
Their hope is simple: that every patient who sits in that chair feels comfort, dignity, and the same kindness they experienced. “Holland Hospital has always been there for us,” Gary said. “We’re blessed to give back, and we’re not done yet.”
Gary and Linda’s story is a powerful reminder of what community looks like when people care for one another across generations. Their gift in honor of Larry reflects not only gratitude for exceptional care, but a deep belief in supporting the place that has supported their family for decades.
If you feel inspired by their story and would like to explore ways to make a difference for patients and families in our community, you can learn more about supporting Holland Hospital at hollandhospital.org/give.