It was about a year ago when the craft ladies at Oceanside Village in Garden City Beach gathered to plan their annual covered dish and auction – and then the unthinkable happened.

Jan Butts, a snowbird from New York for roughly 20 years and an active participant in the crafters group, suffered a stroke during the planning luncheon. She passed away a few days later at the Medical University of South Carolina.

The loss devastated the group. This year, group members honored their friend by donating the money raised from the annual auction to the Tidelands Health Foundation to support the health system’s neuroscience and stroke program.

“It’s just a tragic thing,” said Lauri Spicknall, a member of the Oceanside Village Crafters. “We just wanted to do something in remembrance of her. We can honor her in this way.”

The group also invited stroke experts from Tidelands Health and Tidelands Health Rehabilitation Hospital, an affiliate of Encompass Health, to share important information about stroke prevention with the more than 125 auction attendees.

Each year, the crafters make a variety of items including quilts and jewelry to be auctioned at their annual event. The money raised typically is split among several charities, but the group decided this year that all of it would go to Tidelands Health.

“We feel so incredibly privileged to accept this special donation in memory of Jan Butts,” said Jessica Sasser, executive director of the Tidelands Health Foundation, who attended the auction. “We extend our gratitude to this caring group of crafters at Oceanside Village. This donation will help meet a growing need for neurological care in our community.”

The expansion of neuroscience services is already underway. Tidelands Health, in partnership with Encompass Health, will open a 52,000-square-foot rehabilitation hospital in Little River in May. The inpatient hospital will provide specialized care for patients recovering from stroke and neurological disorders, as well as those recovering from other complex medical conditions.

During the auction event, the crafters heard about the new hospital and learned that their donation is the first to support the foundation’s new campaign for neuroscience care.

“Of course, that made all of us cry,” Spicknall said. “We can feel good about what we did.”