Heather and Luckett Robinson give back as gala co-chairs

In the scariest of moments, when a close family member is critically ill, suddenly everything comes into sharp focus. That has certainly been the case for Heather and Luckett Robinson of Mobile.

Their nephew Jeb, when he was a toddler, suffered a serious head injury in a terrible car accident. He was taken by helicopter to USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital, where he remained in intensive care for weeks.

Fortunately, he survived, and today is a thriving 26-year-old.

“It was really traumatic,” Luckett said. “But what I remember most about the experience was that all of the employees were compassionate and devoted to caring for patients and their families.”

More recently, their sister-in-law Allison collapsed at her home in Mobile from a stroke. The young mom was transported to USA Health University Hospital, where surgeons removed multiple blood clots caused by a heart defect Allison didn’t know she had.

“That was a really scary time for us. Our huge family wanted to be there,” Heather said, recalling brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews gathering in the ICU waiting room awaiting updates on Allison’s condition. “We all wanted to be able to pray with her and see her even though she was in the ICU. She was very, very sick.”

Allison survived the surgery and, though she was critically ill, began to improve a bit more every day. Since being released from the hospital and intensive rehabilitation in Atlanta, she has returned to work and continues to recover.

Luckett recalled healthcare providers telling him how fortunate his sister-in-law had been to live so close to a level 1 trauma center like University Hospital, which has the experience and equipment ready at all times to care for stroke victims. “Had she had her stroke in a small town, without this kind of medical care, she would not have survived,” he said.

For the Robinsons, gratefulness is always coupled with action. They are serving as the 2024 co-chairs of USA Health’s signature event, A Night Honoring Healers, presented by the University of South Alabama Foundation. The gala honors the remarkable stories of USA Health care team members in action as they provide exceptional compassionate care for patients. The event also raises funds to support the mission of USA Health, the region’s only academic health system.

“My mother – if she told me once, she told me a thousand times – ‘To whom much has been given, much is expected,’” Luckett said. “Giving back to your community is a critical component of being a good citizen.”

The Robinsons, who have been married for 28 years with five children, have strong roots in the Mobile community. Luckett serves as vice president and owner of OHC, a Mobile-based importer and distributor of high-performance lumber products now run by the third generation of Robinsons. Six of Luckett’s seven siblings reside in the area, and Heather’s brother and his family also live here.

The two are using their voices in the Mobile community to sing the praises of USA Health and its tripartite mission to provide education, research, and clinical care to the region. “One of the things about having a teaching hospital like this is that you’re getting the best of the best,” Heather said. "We’re becoming increasingly known for our medical care here, and that is a blessing for our entire community.”

There is nothing like firsthand experience to drive the point home. Luckett and Heather have also experienced being anxious parents as they waited for good news and healing. When their fourth child was a third-grader, she developed a red bumpy rash all over her body, but no fever. The pediatrician referred them to Children’s & Women’s Hospital, where an infectious disease specialist found the answer. Their daughter had scarlet fever, an infection caused by the same bacteria that causes strep throat and tonsilitis. After a round of antibiotics, the infection cleared.

“I now have more appreciation for the breadth and depth of the medical care that USA Health offers – its cancer center, burn center, Children’s & Women’s Hospital with helicopter pads right outside,” Luckett said. “USA Health provides care to everyone in the region. Giving back a little bit to an institution like that creates the opportunity to help so many people.”

Learn more about A Night Honoring Healers and purchase tickets.