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MUSC honors, remembers, sheds tears for colleagues In their time of tragedy, Anthony Pirraglia and Mandy Larson have touched the hearts of co-workers and friends When I entered the trauma unit Saturday night, Jan. 19, something had changed. One of ours was murdered, one of ours was wounded, and many of ours were traumatized while simply offering care.  Feelings have been shared, tears have been shed, some have tried to rationalize the senselessness, yet we all face this newfound sense of insecurity...living as health care givers in a world that is far from perfect. Who are we and what is our calling? We are health care professionals who proudly, willingly, and competently deliver care to those in need.  That Saturday evening we acted as professionals and continue to do so, in the never-ending schedule of the health care industry. We do and will continue to care for our patients and their families but let us not forget to care and seek healing for us.  Talk to each other and listen, take time to share and express what needs to be shared.  The Catalyst offers one place for us to begin to heal. Below are special thoughts and memories about Tony Pirraglia and Mandy Larson shared by co-workers and staff.   Time did not allow everyone to speak at the memorial services but The Catalyst offers a place for some to share their thoughts since Saturday night, Jan. 19.  —Chaplain Terry L. Wilson Pastoral Care    Anthony Pirraglia I was fortunate enough to have the distinct pleasure of knowing Tony. For all who knew Tony you realized that he was always friendly and helped anyone with anything. Tony was the truest form of what a health care worker should be. I am proud to have had the privilege to have known Tony and wish that my praises were being sung under better circumstances. The truth of the matter is that we all must band together and offer our prayers to his and all other affected families of this senseless incident.  We must never lose track of what Tony stood for—helping others. I hope to have half of the personal success that Tony achieved, then I will have lived a full life.  God blessed you Tony, you were an extraordinary father and man. God has his reasons to call you to heaven. Unfortunately, we can not understand them at this time. Tony, thank you for everything you stood for. You are missed and will always be missed. See you in heaven. —Chris Reiff, a friend In the time that I worked with Tony in transplant, he was always such a gentleman...carried the big coffee urn for us from Liver Transplant selection Committee, opened doors, always had a kind word to say. My son is in his daughter’s class and Tony and his wife, Cindy, sat a few rows ahead of my children and I at the Christmas concert at our childrens’ school last December.  The whole time, Tony had his arm around his wife and I thought it was so obvious that he was such a good husband and father, as he introduced his wife and daughter to me after the concert. I had seen and heard him interact with his patients and know he was a very caring nurse. I will miss his smiling face and happy personality. —CindyLee Staats, Transplant Surgery Tony was a gentle, kind, loving man full of life. A man whom you knew truly cared for and respected life and when called upon to help others, gave his all. His caring and concern for the welfare of others was part of what made him the Tony we knew and loved. Tony always tried to make sure that all those around him were happy, and if ever there was a problem, no matter what, he did what ever he could to make things better. There is a void in our lives now, and with time I know it will go away, but the memories will keep Tony alive forever in our hearts. Gone but not forgotten.  Peggy McLawhorn-Meducare Tony was a great guy to work with. He was soft spoken, easy to get along with and always caring. It was no surprise that he would run to help someone in distress without thinking twice. He will be sorely missed. —Lynn Uber, Department of Pharmacy Services His kind, pleasant personality will be remembered by all. He was very dedicated to his work, spending many long hours with the transplant patients. He enjoyed life and was very proud of his children. If I could say what I remember most about Tony it is his smile. —Mary Anderson, Critical Care, Oncology and Emergency Services On behalf of the entire Medical University family, we send our heartfelt  sympathies to the Pirraglia family and we wish Mandy Larson a speedy and complete recovery.  —Dr. Ray Greenberg, President, MUSC   A statement from Eric and Mandy Larson On behalf of our entire family, I would like to thank you all for your prayers and support during this most difficult time. Your love and kindness are truly a blessing from God. Mandy is recovering at home and doing quite well. She has a very strong spirit and refuses to let this keep her down. Although she is in a great deal of pain, she continues to crack little jokes to keep me smiling. Mandy is the light of my life and I thank God for not taking her from me that night.  Eric and Mandy Larson We want to extend our sincere sympathy to the Pirraglia family. Tony will always be remembered in our hearts and prayers.   We may never know what caused this person to commit these crimes. Why would a person fire a gun at emergency medical personnel? We are trained to save lives. That is what we all ran to the scene to do. No one knew that we were running into the worst nightmare we could ever imagine. These events have changed all of our lives. We will remember this day every time we respond to a call. Why would any of us think he would jump out of the car and start shooting at us? We risked our lives to save his and he took the life of our brother, Tony, and nearly that of my beautiful bride.  As difficult as these last few days have been, we are all finding comfort in the arms of each other. Meducare and MUSC has always been a very tightly-knit family. It is a privilege to work with such extraordinary people.  The outpouring of emotion and sympathy from the community and the nation truly touches our hearts.  Please continue to pray for Mandy and me, the Pirraglia family, the LaPage family, and the staff at Meducare. Remember to hug your loved ones everyday and tell them that you love them often. You may not have the opportunity to tell them tomorrow. —Eric and Mandy Larson I worked with Mandy while she was a technologist in Interventional Radiology.   I was most impressed with her fun personality and her commitment to achieving her goals.  While she was a technician, she was getting her nursing degree. Everyone was excited for her when she took and passed her boards. I was sorry to see her leave the area, but knew that she had worked very hard to become a nurse and would make a great one. It’s hard to imagine someone intentionally hurting such a fun-loving, nice person.  —Tina Rapstine, Administrative Assistant, Radiology Mandy is a kind, unselfish and caring person. She constantly puts other people's needs and wants in front of her own. She is always there for everyone and now it is time to be there for her and Eric. The two of them will make it through this tragic time and be even stronger than before it is just their character. —Jackie Giordano-Slocum, Radiology On behalf of the NNICU staff, we wish you a fast recovery. Our families and your co-workers miss your positive attitude, your smile and sense of humor, and everything you do to contribute to excellence in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. You were unselfish in your actions to help another and we are here for you if you need anything!  —Cynthia S. Snyder, Neonatal Intensive Care I hired Mandy to work weekends with our diagnostic radiology staff in 1996.  Her good mood and willingness to help patients, co-workers and others was standard among all of us. It was this caring conduct that led her to nursing. To this day, she remains a good friend to me and others in our department. So, when I heard about Mandy's involvement in the Jan. 19 shooting, it came as no surprise to learn that she was among the first people to respond to the scene and offer her services. What happened was both tragic and horrible. All of us share in wishing Mandy the best and hope for a speedy recovery. —John Davis, Peds/Adult Diagnostic Radiology I've known Mandy for nearly five years, since nursing school. Clinically she is one of our top nurses and the brightest and best student I have worked with. What sets her apart, however, is her genuine concern and care for her patients.  We, as a staff, are praying and waiting for her return, but not nearly as much as the little ones she cares for.  —Tony Broderick, NNICU