Where Time Stood Still and Life Moved Forward for 1960s Riley kid Jim Mullin

Before it marks the hours, the grandfather clock inside the library at Riley Hospital for Children marks a moment in time for Jim Mullin.

During a visit to Riley Hospital this past March, Jim couldn’t help but pause in front of the clock he so vividly remembers from his childhood. Each chime carries him back to the 1960s, when he was a young Riley kid.

“I remember hearing this clock all the time, and for some reason, it brought a level of peace,” Jim recalls. “The time was calibrated in a very uncalibrated environment. It’s probably too intellectual for a kid, but there was something there. Some rhythm. A certain level of stability.”

Jim remembers how his hospital room sat just a floor above the grandfather clock. Part of that original hospital remains inside the lobby of the Maternity Tower at Riley Hospital.

“That’s my window,” Jim points out during his visit. “Other than these memories, I have no others of my childhood until after hospital visits were done.”

Born and raised in Indianapolis, Jim experienced a traumatic health event shortly after his first birthday. He later learned that he suffered “unexplained occasional high fevers” and that his organs were seemingly shutting down with severe abdominal and bladder complications.

His parents initially sought surgery at a clinic out-of-state, but Jim’s father, Art, felt uneasy about the team right before surgery. He brought his son home to Riley for the guidance of Robert Garrett, MD, a leader in pediatric urology.

Dr. Garrett first joined Riley in 1946 as the first full-time resident in urology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. In 1954, he became the department chairman at Riley, holding the position until he stepped down in 1972. From infancy through first grade, Jim underwent a series of corrective surgeries with Dr. Garrett.

“Dr. Garrett was a really warm individual,” said Jim. “We trusted him all the way. There was a series of surgeries that were performed to get me back to life and back to a kind of normal kid."

Jim last saw Dr. Garrett when he was 15 years old at a follow-up appointment to ensure everything had grown properly.

Today, Dr. Garrett’s legacy is carried forward by Riley’s nationally-ranked urology program and the Robert A. Garrett Professor of Pediatric Urologic Research at IU School of Medicine, currently held by Richard Rink, MD.

Jim’s trust for Riley stretches beyond his surgeon. He still recalls a nurse named Joanne, who cared for him throughout his stays.

“She was the most amazing nurse anyone could wish for and always said the right things with warmth and understanding,” said Jim between joyful tears. “I would thank her profusely today.”

Over the years, Jim has found different ways to express his gratitude for the life Riley has given him. When he revisited the hospital a few years ago, he noticed the grandfather clock was out of tune. He worked with Riley Children’s Foundation to help repair it so future patients could experience the same comfort he once had.

“The deep chimes reassured me that time continued and marched on,” said Jim.

During his return visits, he can’t help but admire how much has changed while other parts have remained so familiar. He praises the architects and team who designed the expanded space while preserving parts of the original hospital, threading the over 100 years of Riley care into the present and future.

“It’s interesting. Kids haven’t changed. Kids still need help,” said Jim. “But what has changed is how big Riley is, and you can feel the energy, and you can almost feel the smiles coming out of the walls.”

Today, Jim is a commercial real estate investor and developer in Arizona as well as a father of adult twins, John and Megan. He is a 33-year kidney recipient, celebrating his “kidney-versary” every September after receiving a transplant in 1993 from a condition connected to his childhood surgeries.

Passionate about philanthropy, Jim has served on numerous boards and foundations in Indiana and Arizona, including his alma mater DePauw University. He continues to seek opportunities to support kids who need expert pediatric care just as he once did.

Recently, Jim made a personal gift to Riley Children’s Foundation; an amount symbolizing a number deeply meaningful to him and his family, tied to the support he received as a child. He is also working with the Riley Children’s Foundation Planned Giving team to help ensure future children and families have access to the same high-quality care.

“Every child deserves a chance,” said Jim. “We know more about medicine and more about bettering lives and saving people. With all that comes a need. You need resources, expertise and money. Riley is well-poised to take that on, and I don’t know if every hospital can say that.”