Adelio Gonzalez
Title: Grounds Maintenance Worker, Facilities Management
Campus: Kansas City
Adelio Gonzalez, grounds maintenance worker at KU Medical Center, has taken immense pride in beautifying the Kansas City campus for the last 19 years.
“I wake up and am happy to come to work and make the campus look nice,” said Adelio. “When people see all the colorful flowers and plants, I hope it helps them take their mind off things.”
Whether starting from scratch to brighten up a space, weaving wooden strings on hanging pots to enhance their look, or planting unique plants — including his favorite banana trees — Adelio loves finding creative ways to bring out the beauty around campus.
After spending nearly two decades at the university, he has several memories and interesting stories to tell. However, the event on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, may top the list. What seemed like an ordinary day turned into a life-saving moment.
While watering plants at the Olathe Pavillion entrance, Adelio noticed a man in the distance flailing his arms and screaming for help. Without hesitation, he hopped into his cart to see how he could help. When he arrived, the man was lying on the ground in distress and pointing to his heart. Adelio realized he needed to act quickly and lifted the man into the cart. Holding the man up with one arm and driving with the other, Adelio rushed to The University of Kansas Health System Emergency Room, where he dropped him off to receive care.
Adelio’s heroic efforts, in the words of the person he helped, “saved his life.” While his heroics that day may seem like a one-time event, those who know Adelio or have interacted with him know that he would come to the rescue of others every time. In fact, his coworkers recall watching him help a patient in a wheelchair cross the street the next day. It is just the type of person he is.
“Adelio is a kindhearted man who is always looking to make things better,” said Eric Tow, assistant director of landscape operations. “We all have different talents and traits that we exhibit, and his strengths come out when they are most needed. He cared enough to get involved with the situation and to make a difference that day.”
Adelio grew up in South America, and in 1986, he moved to the United States. After spending 18 years in New York, he decided to move to Kansas City to be closer to family and has made KU Medical Center his home away from home ever since.
“This place is my second family down here,” said Adelio.
No matter what your title is at KU Medical Center, every employee plays a role in contributing to the overall mission: improving lives and communities in Kansas and beyond. Adelio exemplifies just that. Each day he strives to improve the lives of everyone who steps foot on campus by making the grounds look nice and being ready to lend a hand.
