When Evlyn McQuinn spent the day with her sister at Barnes-Jewish Hospital while her brother-in-law was undergoing surgery last autumn, something happened to remind her that there are wonderful people in the world.

Evlyn recalls being pleased with the support they received from the Barnes-Jewish team, especially when an employee brought a wheel chair to help her brother-in-law to his room and asked if there was anything else he could do for him. After a full day at the hospital, Evlyn and her sister stopped at Steak & Shake to eat a late dinner. That is when she realized her purse was still at the hospital. 

Evlyn called Barnes-Jewish with little hope that she would see her purse again. To her surprise, someone had turned it in. The real surprise, though,came the next day. When she picked up her purse from the hospital, all of its contents were exactly as she had left them, except for one item: a little origami dove, which fell into her hands as she opened her billfold.

“It was not in there before I lost my purse! Whoever found my purse must have put the dove in there,” says Evlyn. “I was amazed. I think they were wishing me peace and good luck.” 

Evlyn was so grateful for the person who returned her purse that she wished she could give him or her “a whole string of origami doves.” Since the person who returned her purse was anonymous and thus could not be reached, Evlyn gave a charitable gift to the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation in honor of her remarkable experience.“I carry that origami dove with me all the time now,” says Evlyn. “I am happy togive to the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation to show my appreciation for thegood people at Barnes-Jewish, and to honor this truly touching experience.”