Help from CMN Hospitals allows restaurant general manager to achieve her goals
Help from CMN Hospitals allows restaurant general manager to achieve her goals
Because the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals donations stay local, our employees are having a direct impact on sick and injured children and teenagers in their communities. In some cases, when team members are fundraising, they are helping fellow Love's Travel Stops employees like Brittany Wann.
"Every year, I get super excited for the campaign, and I hope others take it to heart as well," Brittany said.
Brittany, the Subway general manager at Love's 253 in Erick, Oklahoma, started having health problems in 2014 when she was 15 years old. After a year of trying to determine what was wrong, her family found answers at OU Children's Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Doctors diagnosed Brittany with two serious conditions: Hashimoto's disease, a thyroid disorder that affects the immune system and a cartilage disorder that severely limits movement in the knee.
"The diagnosis crushed me a little bit," Brittany said. "I worried it was going to ruin my life."
Following the diagnosis, Brittany was on bedrest for four months. Thanks to the experts at OU Children's Hospital, Brittany has been able to manage her conditions and greatly reduce her symptoms.
"They were able to help us in so many ways, from the hospital services to the emotional support and helping us get back and forth on the two-hour drive between Erick and Oklahoma City," said Brittany's mother, Anissa Wann, who also works at Love's.
In 2017, Brittany was hired at Love's, which added a routine and sense of normalcy that brightened her outlook. Brittany and Anissa, who started working at the store in Erick in 2018 and is currently a travel stop trainer, spend months preparing for the campaign.
"It breaks my heart to hear of other children going through health problems, but it heals my heart to be able to raise money to make a difference," Anissa said.
These days, Brittany still goes to OU Children's Hospital two to three times a month to manage her health issues. However, she has a lot to celebrate, having been promoted to restaurant general manager earlier this year.
Brittany braces for a pie in the face for a CMN Hospitals fundraiser.
Anissa wears a funny hat to bring in donations. Both Brittany and Anissa say the CMN Hospitals campaign is their favorite part about working for Love's.
Brittany knows she can overcome any challenges she faces thanks to her mother; her fiancée, Brandon Grimes, who also works at Love's as a tire care customer service manager; and the rest of the store team.
"It's just so awesome to work for a company and a team that puts so much effort in to raise money to help people like me and show they truly care," Brittany said.