An Incredible Life & Unfathomable Struggle

Thomas Lindley is my friend, and I’ve been watching his compelling story unfold over the past few months. 

About 15 years ago, I was able to interview and then hire an incredibly bright, passionate, and experienced respiratory therapist from Oklahoma. He has given me permission to share a snapshot of what has happened in his life here on our blog, specifically about his current battle. It is indeed a battle.

His name is Thomas Lindley and he is many things to us and to so many. Thomas is first and foremost a husband and a father, making a selfless decision to begin over again with young children that he and Martha loved and wanted to give a forever home to. Baseball, fishing, and all the things he and Martha loved, they invested into their children, all of them.

Thomas is also an amazing clinician who embraced and promoted a product to help clinicians safely move patients into the prone position. He placed himself on the map of visionary patient and caregiver advocates in the medical device space. I used Thomas’ success to show my leadership team how a clinician could positively impact outcomes and revenue. He showed us all how to spearhead adoption of automation in a patient handling world that only knew and trusted manual turning. 

Thomas is our friend. Let me say this: When you leave a room where Thomas has been, he is one of those people who deeply affects you – you are different, better, humbled. His energy is an aura that surrounds him and you just want to linger a little longer to soak it in.

A few years ago, when we launched Turn Medical, Thomas called me and said, “Girl, I’m ready.”

I asked him, “Where are we going to go and change the world and save patients and caregivers?”

He said, “I’ll find us some real estate and a few trucks and drivers, and we will get Oklahoma up and running with this amazing innovative technology! Oh and by the way, Martha and I have adopted these precious babies in our 50’s, but we have it all covered and I’m ready to go do something incredible here for these exhausted caregivers and critically ill patients.”

Needless to say, Thomas was one of the very first clinicians we hired at Turn Medical and he took off running. Wherever there was an opportunity, he seized it, and wherever he met a challenge, he stayed the course.

A few months ago, my husband called me very shaken up. He told me he had just hung up from a call with Thomas and that Thomas had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The cancer had spread to his soft palate and our beloved friend had a long journey ahead. 

Thomas was thrust from the bedside as an incredibly energetic, compassionate, empathetic, and wise caregiver into a world he never anticipated. Thomas was now fighting for his own life having to learn about something we only helped to treat.

I couldn’t even pick up the phone to speak to him – we could only text for months about his journey, both too fragile to speak without losing it. I have always said I can be the rock that you need for strength, but I’m a crier and so this rock leaks. He knows this. We are both leaky rocks!

As we focus on honoring respiratory therapists this month, it is our prayer that you take some time and think of, pray for, and give to Thomas and his family, however you are moved. 

Thomas is done with his treatments for now, but has a very long road to recovery. He has been unable to work and so resources have been tight for his family. We love him and know that the road ahead is long, but we believe that Thomas will heal and be back doing what he loves as an RT and as a consultant for Turn Medical saving lives as he has done his whole life.

Thank you, Thomas for your giant heart and fierce soul. Thank you for your friendship and for the countless lives that you have saved as a respiratory therapist. We are always family to you here at Turn Medical, and the community of our followers is cheering you on as you face this battle, one day at a time. 

VENMO: Thomas1010lindley