It happened one morning in 2021. Bambo Bamgbose, husband, father and, at the time, Ripple Effect’s Chief Financial Officer, woke up and didn’t feel right. He couldn’t stand up straight. His wife called an ambulance, and he was on his way to Medstar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney, Maryland. From there he was airlifted to Medstar Franklin Square in Baltimore where doctors determined he had suffered a stroke. He was prepped for emergency surgery and began his journey through a life-threatening illness.
“I underwent surgery and stayed at the hospital in Baltimore for seven weeks. After that, I was discharged to a rehab hospital where I stayed for three and a half weeks. When I finally returned home, I had some challenges that I didn’t have before and I worked with in-home care staff to gain strength again,” said Bambo Bamgbose. “I ended up having to return to the hospital for further surgery and rehab before I was finally discharged. In all, I spent over 5 months recovering in the hospital. I am grateful to all the medical staff and to my family and friends who were so supportive.”
Bambo’s story is one of hope and strength. It’s also a story of a workplace that is employee-centered and flexible. His work colleagues banded together with his doctors and family to help him recover and return to work in the new role of Senior Vice President of Growth.
“It was a really tough experience for all of us,” said Amy Bielski, Ripple Effect’s President and CEO. “We knew we wanted to help Bambo in any way we could and fortunately we had some processes and a mindset in place that allowed us to ease him back into the office. Part of our Work Smarter, Perform Better® philosophy means that we offer maximum flexibility for work hours so employees can work when they are most productive, during the day and during the month.”
Bambo was welcomed back to Ripple with new responsibilities as the Senior Vice President of Growth. Ripple Effect is growing into the middle market and the competition it faces is tough and well resourced. Bambo works with company leadership to identify and capitalize on new opportunities for Ripple Effect. The company seeks to advance the flexible environment that Bambo found to be so helpful in his journey back to health.
“I am so grateful to the leadership at Ripple Effect for their patience and compassion,” said Bambo. “After going through this personal ‘Black Swan’ event, I have a greater sense of agency in my life and want to ensure that my contributions at work make a difference.”
Watch a video from Medstar Health on Bambo Bamgbose’s recovery here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ioL9wut6SI
