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Angleton Danbury Medical Center marks 40th
Published November 20, 2009
ANGLETON —When Angleton Danbury Medical Center first was envisioned, some predicted the original building would “make a good hay barn,” said Dorothy Jane Neal, a charter member of the hospital’s auxiliary.
“To see how it’s grown is very rewarding,” Neal said with a smile Thursday, as officials and guests gathered in the facility’s professional building to celebrate the center’s 40th anniversary.
Angleton Danbury General Hospital was formed with 34 licensed beds after the 60th Texas Legislature approved Senate Bill 104. Current State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, presented the hospital with House Resolution 2587, adopted this year by the 81st Legislature.
The resolution honors the 40-year anniversary, and Bonnen also presented a proclamation honoring the hospital’s auxiliary. That group was formed by six women from Second Baptist Church before the hospital opened.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have a first-class facility like this one in our community,” Bonnen said. “It’s somewhat daunting to walk into a medical facility, but the auxiliary helps people feel welcome.”
At the hospital’s inception, the Jets won the Super Bowl and the Mets the World Series, Board Chairwoman Melba Beken said. CBS canceled the television program, “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” and NASA fired Apollo 11 into space.
“What a year,” Beken said.
Since that time, Angleton Danbury has grown to include 110 physicians and 39 medical specialties, she said.
Edith Gundey, who was an original board member, told about 100 people at Thursday’s gathering she had to convince the men on the hospital’s board that children should be allowed to visit their mothers in the hospital.
She still takes an active role in supporting the facility, she said.
“I always boost the hospital and tell everyone we have a wonderful hospital,” Gundey said.
Mary Ann Ng beamed as her daughter was again a star 40 years after being delivered at Angleton Danbury Medical Center.
“When she said they called and said they contacted her, I didn’t know what to expect,” said Ng, mother of Laurie Davila Villarreal Zepeda, the first baby born at the hospital on Nov. 18, 1969.
“It’s awesome,” said Ng, who lives in Katy. “I like that my daughter is a part of it. It’s good being a mom. That’s my favorite thing to do.”
Ng and Zepeda received photographs of “Baby Girl Davila” and mom from the first year, framed along with a newspaper article about the first delivery. Between 8,000 and 10,000 babies have been born at Angleton Danbury since it opened Nov. 15, 1969, said Tonya Visor, the hospital’s director of marketing and public relations.
Over the past decade, about 410 babies have been delivered there per year.
“It’s exciting,” said Zepeda, a Tomball resident. “It’s cool that the hospital has grown.”
CEO Dave Bleakney welcomed attendees and Visor thanked the community for their participation in “Week of Caring” events which included a food drive, coat and blanket drive and a toy drive.
John Lowman covers Angleton for The Facts. Contact him at 979-849-8581.
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