Corinne Lanouette and Colleagues Walk the Walk–Literally

Today’s gonna be a great day. I know it. Go get it.  – Dylan Lewandowski

One of Corrine Lanouette’s fondest memories of her brother, Dylan, were his “always uplifting” morning text messages. Though Dylan passed away in 2022, “I still continue to miss his morning affirmations,” she said. Her ChristianaCare coworkers in Nutrition Services have stepped up to support their colleague in her time of loss. They don’t just talk about ChristianaCare’s value of “serving together” – they walk the walk, literally.

Dylan, who struggled with addiction and passed away from the disease, left behind a legacy of humor and devotion to family that Lanouette and her colleagues remember together by walking as a team in the atTAcK addiction E-Racing the Stigma 5K Run/Rally, held in early March in Delaware. ChristianaCare is an event sponsor.

“My team signed up for somebody they didn’t know and hadn’t met before. They just wanted to support me.” —Corrine Lanouette

Lanouette, who joined ChristianaCare in 2020, was able to turn to her coworkers for comfort as she felt the devastating impact of Dylan’s passing. During her bereavement leave, “everybody stepped up,” she recalled. And when it came time to honor Dylan at the atTacK addiction 5K, a walk that Lanouette and her brother used to do together to honor a family friend, their support grew even stronger.

“Our group is called Doing It for Dylan,” Lanouette said. “And my team signed up as soon as possible for somebody they didn’t know and hadn’t met before. They just wanted to support me.”

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Clad in matching T-shirts, the Doing It for Dylan team has honored his memory for two years in a row. Coworker Hannah Ciolek, MPH, remembers the camaraderie of the day despite the somber occasion: “One of the best parts was having so many of the staff and providers, both from Nutrition Services and our ‘sister’ department Weight Management, engaging with each other outside of the hospital.

“Corrine likes to treat this day as a celebration to her brother,” Ciolek said. “The loss of her brother was felt by all of us, and we wanted to do anything we could to help support her.”

When Doing It for Dylan walks together it’s another “great day” to honor Dylan’s memory. Ciolek said. “We walk beside her to help make a difficult time of the year a more positive experience for her.”

For Lanouette, it shows that the meaning of “serving together” runs deep. “It’s a great feeling to know your coworkers are there to support you, no matter what,” she said. “Doing this made us all closer.”