HAMLET — Mary Garner was surprised last December when she received a newspaper sent to her by Chatham Hospital. There, in full color, was a full-page ad for the hospital — with a photo of her.
“I was shocked and tickled,” she said. “I’m really proud of it.”
Garner went in for hip-replacement surgery in September 2017 and stayed at the hospital for six weeks before being released. She said while there, they asked if it was okay if they took photos of her around the hospital.
“There are a few online,” she said. “There’s one of me in a wheelchair and another one of me in the garden area with one of the doctors.”
A billboard with the advertisement is located on U.S. 421 and is four miles away from the hospital. When asked why Garner’s photo was chosen, hospital representatives responded that she took a good photo.
Chatham Hospital is associated with UNC Health Care.
Garner said she is going up that way again in three weeks to see her heart doctor and plans on doing a photo shoot with them.
“I can’t wait for that. It’ll be real nice,” she said.
Garner said she has yet to see the billboard in person but hopes to on her way to the next visit.