Parishioner Spotlight: Karen Murphy
Parishioner Spotlight: Karen Murphy
Hometown: I was born in Atlanta, but my parents moved to Cleveland three months
later when they graduated from Emory University.
Family: Husband Ron, son Max, 27 and daughters Darcey, 25 and Rory, 19.
Church Affiliation: Lifelong Episcopalian
Profession: Social Worker
How did you end up in Cincinnati? When I was 3 years old, my parents divorced, and mom found a job as a social worker in Cincinnati. We lived in Norwood and that’s where I’ve lived ever since. Ron and I actually bought the house from Mom that I lived induring high school.
You and the Episcopal Church have a long history?
Yes, when we moved to Norwood, mom took us to Good Shepard Episcopal Church. It was about 10 to 20 people every Sunday, and I loved it. My sister and I were the acolytes every Sunday because there were no other kids. Eventually, it closed.
How did you end up at All Saints?
My mom was an ordained deacon at All Saints for awhile when Eileen [O’Reilly] was the priest, and I had come there a few times with Mom. I attended Redeemer [in Hyde Park] for 20 years and was ready for a change so I came back to All Saints.
How did you and Ron meet?
He was a year ahead of me in high school, although we didn’t date in high school. I was 19 when we started dating and 24 when we got married. Next April 17, it will be 30 years.
What about your job?
I am a social worker at Children’s Hospital. I’ve been there for almost 19 years. For the past 4 1/2 years, I’ve been in the NICU [Neonatal Intensive Care Unit] working mainly with parents.
Is there one case that stands out as particularly challenging or gratifying?
I just had a case that is a good example. It involved young parents who came from West Virginia who both had severe intellectual disabilities. The baby had lot of problems, too, and was intubated. The parents stayed in the Ronald McDonald House and were back and forth a lot between there and the NICU. The first week was really hard for the mom who had postpartum depression. Eventually, she got to a much better place emotionally, did a real 360 turnaround and began to care for the baby. There was so much instinct there. The father participated, too, and I loved watching them care for the baby. I became their biggest advocate, and after two months, they were able to take the baby home. I was so sad when they left.
Speaking of challenges, you almost lost Ron [a retired Norwood police officer] last year, didn’t you?
Yes, January 15, 2021. He had a brain aneurysm. I was at work, and he called me and said he was really sick. I could hear him vomiting and then he hung up. He called back and again, hung up. I thought he was at the police department, so I texted the chief, who is our really good friend. He told me that Ron had driven to Fayetteville in Brown County to deliver a check to help the family of a police officer there who had COVID. At this point, I’m calling Ron, but he’s not answering his phone. We don’t really know where he is because he’s in his own truck. We had just bought new cell phones and didn’t have “find phone” application set up yet. The Fayetteville police chief is the one who found him pulled off to the side of the road. The Norwood chief and I drove there. It was awful; he was in such pain. We drove him to Bethesda North where we found out he had an aneurysm, and they transferred him to the Neuro ICU at Good Samaritan. He ended up having a drain to take care of the bleed and eventually a shunt, but there were lots of complications. I brought him home after two weeks, and he was in pretty good shape. But a few days later, we ended up back at Good Sam because of a second bleed in the back of his head. After we got home again, he worked with an amazing occupational therapist, and he’s come back fully. It’s really a miracle and life changing for both of us.
On a lighter note, is there something that most of us don’t know about you?
Most people at All Saints don’t know that I absolutely love running marathons. I’ve completed 16 and way more half marathons.
What’s on your bucket list?
Definitely lots of traveling. I want to do an ultra marathon [anything over 26.2 miles] and start hiking the Appalachian Trail, at least parts of it in every state it goes through.
We all certainly enjoy the treats you bring to coffee hour. Is baking one of your claims to fame?
I do like baking, but I LOVE cooking. It’s become a hobby. I enjoy cooking vegan or vegetarian. I have a huge love of animals so I try not to use animal products in my recipes, and I utilize a lot of vegetables. I experiment with new recipes on Ron every night for dinner. I would say I’m getting better and better, but you should ask him to see what he thinks!