Foundation Annual Report

My name is Megan Chunias and I want to express my sincere gratitude for the Wilma Winberg Johnson Adelphe Scholarship. As I applied for this scholarship, I was thankful but curious about its origin. What inspired this Kappa to pay it forward so that I can continue my education?

Let me introduce Wilma Winberg Johnson, Massachusetts. She joined Kappa in 1943 and served as a Graduate Counselor (Leadership Consultant). Over the years, Wilma consistently volunteered for the Fraternity and Foundation.

Because of all that Kappa has given her and her experience as a Graduate Counselor, Wilma was moved to establish a scholarship for former consultants. "As a recipient of this scholarship, my wish is for you to have an outstanding experience wherever you go in Kappa," Wilma said.

Wilma's words gave me goosebumps. Like me, the opportunities and support Wilma received from Kappa aided her growth as a young woman. I was born at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts, where Wilma volunteered as a coordinator for the Teddy Bear Project, which aims to reduce children's anxiety upon entering the Hospital by gifting them a coping kit that includes a handmade bear. I immediately resonated with this passion for mental health support, especially for Children, as it's closely related to my career goals. The Kappa connections are truly never-ending!

Born on Jan. 19, 2022, Grayson Bradley was the perfect addition to our family. His sister, Riley, was excited to be a “big sissy.” The first few months of his life were everything we could have hoped for. He was meeting all milestones and was the happiest baby you would ever meet. He was easygoing and always had a big smile on his face.

At 9 months old, everything changed. We noticed Grayson was startled by sudden noises and had recurrent viruses. In December, we noticed unusual movement patterns that became more frequent and severe. January was spent in and out of the emergency room and seeing a local neurologist, who dismissed our concerns. After sharing videos of Grayson's episodes with his pediatric team, we were referred to Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami. Video EEG confirmed that Grayson was having as many as 20 seizures a day.

Grayson remained in the hospital through the month of February as the seizures increased in severity and frequency, peaking at over 80 per day. Between shifts as a police officer, Grayson's dad, Drew, drove back and forth on days off to see us. After failed attempts to control Grayson's seizures with medication, he was stable enough to be discharged to continue treatment at home, though no closer to answers.

Dr. Mary M. Crawford, Cornell, put her life on the line to serve as a pioneering surgeon in World War I. She made history as the first woman contract surgeon assigned to the American Ambulance Hospital near Paris. It wasn’t the first time she defied the odds in a male-dominated field.

After receiving her medical degree from Cornell in 1907, Mary longed to be a surgeon and join a horse-drawn ambulance service. These roles were reserved for men at the time. That didn’t stop her. She found a posting at the Brooklyn Williamsburg Hospital that accepted her application. Mary became Brooklyn’s first woman ambulance surgeon in 1908. Ambulance surgeons treated patients at the scene and she saw it all — broken bones, burns, and more. It wasn’t a job for the faint of heart. She was bitten by patients several times and was once nearly choked to death. Nevertheless, she persisted.

When WWI began in 1914, Mary was determined to do her part. Thanks to funding from Anna Gould, a New York City socialite and Duchess of Talleyrand, six surgeons were sent to aid efforts in France. Mary was the only woman surgeon.

Things were off to a rocky start when Mary arrived in Paris and was initially turned away by administrators at the American Ambulance Hospital. But it didn’t take long for the hospital to look past her gender and focus on her skill set, which included the ability to perform new anesthesia techniques. Despite her success, American doctors refused to promote her over her male colleagues, so Mary switched to the French service. Soon, she was in charge of multiple hospital wards and had dozens of patients under her care. While Mary was excited to learn and be part of the war effort, as the months wore on, she wrote in her diary how the trauma was beginning to affect her. Mary returned home after a year of embracing French medical methods and apparatuses and dedicating her time to patients, many of whom were French colonial soldiers.