For 13 years, MRI technologist Yvette Marhone shared her radiant smile, kind heart, and enthusiastic energy with the Pennsylvania Hospital community. Care and warmth characterized all of her relationships, whether with patients she met for the first time, colleagues she worked with for years, or loved ones she cherished. She was exceptionally good at building rapport with patients and ensuring they felt comfortable and supported, and they would often request her when they returned to the hospital. She was always willing to offer a helping hand, a listening ear, and a bit of sage advice.
Even as Marhone underwent chemotherapy to treat an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, her focus remained on making a positive difference every day, and she worked tirelessly on the front lines of the pandemic. On September 16, she passed away at 51.
“Yvette was not a country fan, but the tickets were free so she humored me and went. After a few drinks, she was singing along like she knew all the words,” Miller-Smith recalled fondly.
“Yvette had the most infectious laugh that echoed through our department and rang through the halls. The hospital is so quiet without her,” said Radiology supervisor Debra Miller-Smith. “We worked together for 12 years, but our relationship grew as friends, and she became family to me. We traveled together, hung out together, and just had so much fun. We were partners in crime.”
Marhone was born in Jean-Rebal, Haiti, and moved to the United States in 1997. She began her Pennsy career in 2006 as an X-ray technologist. Eager to continue learning new skills, though, she continued her training and soon became a certified MRI technologist. In 2010, her 3-year old niece joined her and her husband in the U.S. following a catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. The family loved spending time together, and they particularly enjoyed packing up their RV for camping trips. Despite her 2019 cancer diagnosis, Marhone continued to live her life with humility, compassion, and joy, never letting it shake her faith or her commitment to doing anything possible to brighten someone else’s day.
In November, the Radiology team celebrated the life of their beloved friend and coworker by gathering together on the banks of the Schuylkill River, writing notes on paper lanterns, and releasing them into the sky. A plaque with Marhone’s photo also hangs in the Tuttleman Radiology department to illustrate that she will forever be part of the Pennsy family.
“Yvette was such a positive force, and she refused to let cancer bring her spirit down,” Miller-Smith said. “She never believed her illness would win, and it never did. She fulfilled her purpose in this life, and we will never forget her.”