(Editor's note: the following is reprinted with permission from the Spring 2021 issue of 'Journeys.' The publication is printed by Bryan Health of Lincoln.)

When Linda Kimminau and her family went to the third floor at Bryan West Campus on Aug. 11, 2020, they didn't know what to expect.

The year before, Linda and her daughters had donated memorial funds to Bryan's rehabilitation department in honor of Linda's husband, Darrel. The staff had asked them to come, to see how their donation was used.

"I thought they would print some brochures, or buy something little," Linda remembers.

When they arrived, they saw the Kimminau Corner Mart, a replica grocery store to help patients practice everyday tasks.

"It was such a surprise, and it meant a lot to us" says Linda, who is a nurse manager for Bryan's youth mental health services.

In 2018, Darrel had nearly died after a stroke, and he spent almost three months in inpatient rehabilitation. During that time, the family grew close to the staff.

"His therapists would joke with him because he liked to give them a hard time," Linda recalls. She says they would chat about baseball or teasingly threaten him with Farkle, his least-favorite board game. Darrel loved to cook and had made several dishes in the rehab kitchen.

"He had come so far - so far - from when he had the stroke to the time he went home," she says. Sadly, in September of 2019, Darrel died after complications from surgery.

Tracy Loveless, therapy manager for acute inpatient rehab, says they wanted to use the family's donation in a way that would honor Darrel and incorporate his love of cooking. Patients previously went on field trips to grocery stores, but the simulated store gives patients more time to practice tasks in a safer setting, especially with COVID-19 restrictions.

Rehab worked with Bryan's facilities team, who custom-built produce stands, shelves and a mock dairy cooler. Samantha Penas, assistant therapy manager, approached Darrel's cousin, DeEtta Mayrose of the Bryan Foundation, to see if they could get donations for the store. Russ's Market generously provided a shopping cart and basket, food items, foam meat trays and even a nonfunctional credit card reader.

Perishable foods were challenging. Tracy says they used modeling clay for meats and made milk out of paint and water. They filled an ice cream pail with flour, taking care to simulate the correct weight for each item.

"We wanted patients to be able to work on their coordination and strength by practicing reaching up on a shelf for a bag of cheese or a tray of raw chicken," adds Samantha.

At the ribbon cutting, Linda shared a small surprise; when she was a girl, her family had owned an IGA grocery store in Lawrence. She says she's grateful for everything the rehab team did for Darrel.

"They really honored my husband, and it was humbling to know that we could help other people overcome injuries after a tragic illness or accident," she says. "Darrel would be proud."