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Kutter Shed wasn ’ t expected to live after a riding lawnmower mangled his leg and destroyed roughly 80 percent of his intestines . Multiple teams at McLane Children ’ s worked tirelessly to rebuild Kutter ’ s leg and abdomen and cared for his body and spirit during the six weeks he spent in the hospital . He is now running , jumping and eating tacos like any five-year-old should .
At the ceremony , Kutter bounded onto the stage along with his family . Mr . McLane presented him with a medal to mark the beginning of Kutter ’ s service as this year ’ s CMN Hospitals Champion for McLane Children ’ s , an ambassador and advocate in the community for the charitable needs of local children ’ s hospitals .
Driven by faith and grit Mr . McLane says his parents raised him with a strong Christian faith and a sense of obligation to leverage their prosperity to help others thrive .
“ My dad said before you start a career or you start any event , review your Christian ethics , and that should dictate what you do ,” Mr . McLane says . “ Your integrity , your values are lasting . Give charitably , but also give ideas and leadership and work to inspire others .”
Mr . McLane recalls returning home after college with a plan to help lead the family grocery business , McLane Company . “ I thought I was going to be his assistant ,” he says . “ So I said , ‘ Dad , what ’ s my job ?’ and he said , ‘ You ’ re going to work the third shift at night loading trucks .’ I was crushed . In hindsight , that was the best thing he could have done for me . I learned how to work with people and inspire them , and I learned how the business really flowed .”
After a year and a half on the third shift , Mr . McLane became vice president of purchasing . He then spent 14 years as general manager of operations before becoming president and CEO in 1978 and then chairman in 1992 .
Hope and healing
In the 1970s , Mr . McLane joined the Scott & White Healthcare board of directors — serving as chairman of the board for 14 years — and was the first chairman of the unified board of trustees after the merger of Baylor Health Care System and Scott & White Healthcare in 2013 . He was deeply involved in bringing specialized pediatric care to the Central Texas region and establishing the freestanding children ’ s hospital and clinic in Temple . He continues his involvement as a trustee and active supporter .
“ Drayton McLane Jr . continues to make his mark on Texas through his generosity ,” said Pete McCanna , chief executive officer of Baylor Scott & White Health . “ His passion for helping children and families has made a huge impact . And at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children ’ s hospital and clinics , families throughout Central Texas will continue to benefit for generations to come .”
Mr . McLane became involved with CMN Hospitals in 1987 , serving on its board and helping to launch a fundraising campaign at McLane Company , which has since raised more than $ 100 million to aid local children ’ s hospitals all over the United States .
“ It was exciting to get our employees involved in it , and our customers ,” Mr . McLane said . “ It ’ s easy to get excited about helping children .”
“ Mr . McLane caught the vision of our organization many years ago ,” said Teri Nestel , president and CEO of CMN Hospitals . “ As a founding member of our Board of Governors years ago , and as an advocate for
THE COMPASS / SPRING 2023