10 Most Selfless Things Meredith Grey Has Done On Grey’s Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy‘s Meredith has proved again and again that she is an incredibly selfless person who does not hesitate to put the needs of those she cares about above her own. Viewers have gotten the opportunity to see Meredith Grey grow and evolve as a surgeon and a person throughout Grey’s Anatomy‘s long run on the air. Throughout the many awful things Grey’s Anatomy has done to Meredith, she has managed to maintain one of the best qualities about her: her ability to put others above herself.

Season after season, Meredith has shown that she is willing to put her own desires on the back burner to ensure that those she loves are well taken care of. Many things have changed on Grey’s Anatomy over the years, but Meredith’s commitment to being a good friend, mom, sister, and doctor has not. Despite her shortcomings, Meredith’s commitment to those she cares about makes her a role model to those around her on Grey’s Anatomy, as well as to viewers.

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10 Meredith Gave Her Wedding Day To Izzie

Meredith wanted Izzie to be able to have the day of her dreams.

When Izzie Stevens was diagnosed with cancer in season 5 of Grey’s Anatomy, Meredith proved how great of a friend she could be. In order to help Izzie keep her mind off of her difficult circumstances, Meredith involved her heavily in the planning of her wedding. When Izzie discovered that she had an additional tumor, Meredith and Derek graciously gave their wedding to Izzie and her boyfriend, Alex.

9 Meredith Committed Insurance Fraud To Help A Patient

Meredith needed to make sure her patient was taken care of.

Meredith Grey has proved time and time again that her commitment to her patients knows no bounds. During season 15, episode 23, “What I Did For Love”, Meredith committed insurance fraud in order to help a struggling patient. She was treating a young girl named Gabriella Rivera whose father, Luis, applied for state health insurance and was denied. In a move that could have cost her her job and medical license, Meredith wrote down her daughter’s name on Gabby’s forms. Though the decision was not the smartest, it shows how selfless Meredith can be when it comes to the health and well-being of her patients.

8 Meredith Put Herself In Front Of A Gun To Protect Her Colleagues

Meredith risked her own life to save her colleagues.

During the season six finale of Grey’s Anatomy, Meredith proved that not only is she selfless but also incredibly brave. In the episode, there was a shooter in the hospital who shot Derek, and Cristina had to perform surgery on him to save his life. As she was performing surgery, the shooter came into the operating room and threatened to shoot the doctors who were trying to save Derek. Meredith, despite being pregnant, decided to stand in front of the gun, to prevent any of the doctors from being shot.

7 Meredith Put Her Hand In A Body Cavity To Prevent A Bomb Going Off

Meredith acted quickly and selflessly to save lives.

Though not the most practical of decisions, Meredith decided to put her hand in a body cavity in order to prevent a bomb from going off in the hospital. In season 2, episode 17, “As We Know It”, Meredith acted incredibly quickly and bravely when a nervous paramedic took her arm out of the cavity and ran out of the room. Rather than thinking about how dangerous it could be for her, Meredith quickly put her hand in. Her decision was incredibly selfless and could have ended up costing her her life.

6 Meredith Moved From Her Beloved Home To Help Her Daughter

Meredith put her daughter’s needs above her own.

Seattle was Meredith’s home for many years and was where she began her career and family. She expressed multiple times on Grey’s Anatomy that Seattle was where she wanted to raise her children. However, when she learned that Zola was struggling with anxiety and wanted to attend a school in Massachusetts, she did not hesitate to move and take a new job. In this instance, Meredith proved that her number one priority is to ensure that her children are healthy and happy, even at the expense of her own wants.

5 Meredith Pushed Her Best Friend To Move To A Different Country

Meredith prioritized Cristina’s career over wanting her close by.

Meredith and Cristina’s friendship on Grey’s Anatomy was one of the most wholesome parts of the show and proved how much love Meredith has to give. Despite Cristina being Meredith’s “person” and her best friend, Meredith was able to put aside her own feelings to push Cristina to make the decision best for her career. When Cristina got the opportunity to move to Switzerland for her dream job, Meredith did not hesitate to support her in going. Even when Cristina felt hesitant about going, Meredith didn’t falter in assuring Cristina that it was the right thing to do.

4 Meredith Covered Up For Izzie When She Cut The LVAD Wire

Meredith was willing to risk her job to help Izzie stay out of trouble.

Throughout Meredith Grey’s career journey, she has made it abundantly clear that being a great surgeon is a huge priority for her. Despite her dedication and ambition when it comes to her career, however, she is still willing to risk it all for her friends. When Izzie cut Denny’s LVAD wire, she could have turned her in to get on Chief Webber’s good side and avoid the interrogations and threats of punishments. Instead, she stood with Izzie and refused to provide any information that could get her friend in trouble.

3 Meredith Risked Her Career To Help Chief Webber & His Wife

Meredith was willing to lose her job to help Richard’s wife get treatment.

Meredith has proved time and time again that she will do anything to help the people she loves. For example, when Richard Webber’s wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and was participating in a clinical trial, Meredith risked her career to help her. She switched the envelopes to ensure that Richard’s wife was able to get the new medication instead of receiving the placebo. This could have gotten Meredith put in the group of Grey’s Anatomy characters who were fired from the hospital, and it did cause friction between her and Derek (who was running the trial).

2 Meredith Forgave The Patient That Attacked Her

Meredith did not hold a grudge against the man who hurt her.

During Grey’s Anatomy season 12, episode 9, “The Sound of Silence”, Meredith was badly attacked by a patient as she was trying to help him. The patient suffered from post-seizure hyperaggression and was not aware of what he was doing but ended up hurting Meredith so badly that her jaw was displaced. Despite the fact that Meredith was in an enormous amount of pain and was in such bad shape that her children did not want to come near her, she found it in herself to forgive the patient and not hold what he did against him.

1 Meredith Donated A Part Of Her Liver To Her Absent Father

Meredith saved the life of the parent who did neglected her.

Meredith’s father, Thatcher, was never a stable part of her life, which caused her to have trauma and trust issues. Even though her father was not a present figure in her life, Meredith selflessly donated a part of her liver to him when he became sick. She did so because she knew how much he meant to her half-sister, Lexie. Even though Thatcher was not a good dad to Meredith but was to Lexie, Meredith was still able to find it in her heart to help him. Instead of holding resentment and refusing to save his life through such a selfless act, Meredith proved how big of a person she can be.

Grey’s Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy is considered one of the great television shows of our time, winning several awards and four Emmys. The high-intensity medical drama follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.

Release Date

March 27, 2005

Writers

Shonda Rhimes , Julie Wong , Jen Klein , Tameson Duffy , Meg Marinis