Roberta Z. Muir and Robert J. Muir

The eldest of four siblings in a lower-middle-class family, I grew up in Lackawanna, just south of the Buffalo city line. Getting a good education was always a theme and I expected to be the first in my family to earn a college degree. Living at home and attending a local college or university would be more affordable, especially if I worked part time. UB was my first choice. Like many students, I worked part time to minimize loans and keep my car running. My goal was to graduate in less than four years. This required perseverance and effective time management, particularly during wintry days.

With my interest in science and health, I worked as a unit secretary on a large medical surgical unit at Sisters of Charity Hospital. After graduation I worked in the statistical office of Acute Leukemia Group B (ALGB), the headquarters of which was Roswell Park Memorial Institute, later renamed Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Before taking on that position, I trained my sister, Melanie (Zelawski) Coates, to assume the unit secretary role.

Melanie went on to become a registered nurse. Her first child, Madelyn Coates, was born with an unexpected birth defect called Hypo-plastic left heart, which required a heart transplant—unheard of in 1983. Madelyn was the poster child at Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, living most of her 19 months in the ICU under the expert care of pediatric doctors, nurses and other hospital staff. Her many extensive surgeries and procedures dramatically advanced knowledge about pediatric cardiac care.

This award, established in Madelyn’s memory, is to assist nursing students pursue opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. We imagine them continuing the university’s progress in advancing the state of health care in the Buffalo area; saving lives, providing encouragement to patients and their families, and demonstrating compassionate end-of-life care for decades to come.