In Lisa’s Memory

Mannino Family’s Gift Supports The Valley Hospital

Ron and Sue Mannino met as kids in the halls of Hackensack High School. Both are lifelong residents of Bergen County with firm roots in Hackensack and backgrounds in healthcare.
Ron, a licensed pharmacist, owns a pharmaceutical company, and Sue spent almost 30 years as a critical care nurse at a Bergen County hospital.

One day in 2019, Sue was rushed to the emergency department at The Valley Hospital when she found herself unable to breathe. The care she received from the emergency department staff and from pulmonologist Daniel Suffin, DO, was genuine and compassionate.

“The doctors and nurses take their time and listen to you. I felt safe and comfortable,” said Sue. “And that’s how it should be.”

In October of 2020, the Mannino family once again crossed paths with Valley, when their daughter Lisa, 40, who suffered from Lupus, was rushed to the hospital in cardiac arrest. By coincidence, it was comforting for them to see a familiar face in the emergency department, Dr. Suffin.

“I knew that my daughter was not going to make it, but the doctors and nurses did everything they could,” Sue said.

Unfortunately, Lisa did not survive, but the compassionate end-of-life care that Lisa received and the warmth with which the family was treated – especially with COVID-19 restrictions in place – made a lasting impact on them.

Lisa was outgoing, fun, and creative – she was a talented cosmetologist and photographer, and had a beautiful singing voice. She enjoyed spending time outside and walking along the beach, collecting “treasures.”

“Lisa’s greatest joy and love in life was her son, Evan,” Ron said. “She was a beautiful person, inside and out, and we wanted to honor her life in some way.”

The Manninos toured the new hospital just days before it opened its doors on April 14th. Seeing the hospital firsthand and understanding the unique needs of critical care patients and their families, the Manninos made a generous gift to Valley, where the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit is named in Lisa’s memory.

“What differentiates The Valley Hospital from other hospitals is that it has a personal, caring atmosphere and a community feel,” Ron said. “This is a state-of-the-art facility that is large enough to offer top notch care, but still makes sure patients feel like people and not a bed number.”

“Valley is part of our hearts,” Sue said. “We’re happy to support it.”