03/16/2026
👋 Say hello to David!
David is the President of the Residents Council here at MediLodge of Lansing. He is also a Navy Veteran, having mastered navigation, meteorology, and ship handling. David has been a long-term resident in Lansing for several years and today shared an incredible story from his time at sea.
He told me about the moment when the barometer on his ship dropped suddenly. I said, “Bad weather is coming,” and he replied, “Absolutely.” Looking through the radar lens, David spotted a huge white line about 100 miles away. He immediately called the captain and the ship navigator to the deck. Pointing at the radar, he said: “Tsunami.”
The team had just one hour to prepare. Everything on deck had to be secured, and the crew had to move to their general quarters. The captain navigated the ship by riding the wave—up and down—calculating timing perfectly. David recalled, “If anyone ever tells you they are not afraid, they are lying.” The tsunami reached 100 feet high, but through precise strategy and his training as a master ship handler, David helped save his ship, crew, and even hundreds of people in other countries.
MediLodge of Lansing is incredibly proud to have veterans like David as part of our community. Thank you, David, for your service and for sharing your story.
Today, David is doing restoration care with Vickie, one of our long-time CNAs whom we affectionately call “Mama.” When I asked David about the team here at MediLodge of Lansing, he said:
"They know me, they understand me, and they care about me and others." 💛
