One of the most incredible people to come across my path, was the doctor who agreed to take Ben on as a patient when we were trying to get him moved from Forth Worth, Texas back home to Sacramento.
He said, "Yes."
You see, when Ben had his horrific accident, he was in a trauma center - the wonderful John P Smith Hospital in Forth Worth - for a month, then he was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital for another month, and then he was moved to a nursing home for a few days, five to be exact.
When it was clear the insurance would not cover more than a month at the rehab hospital, the search was on to find someplace where Ben could get the medical attention he needed until he was well enough to get him back home.
The only options we had were nursing homes.
I've said this before, but it's worth repeating - you never want to see your child in a nursing home.
He did move into a nursing home, but I vowed to do everything I could to get him out of there as soon as possible.
So, when a move was inevitable, I began the search for a doctor in Sacramento who would accept Ben as a patient. That's the only way his insurance coverage would continue.
I called every doctor I knew, but no one was willing to accept Ben because he was a multiple trauma patient. The risks were still high that things could go wrong.
Of course I shared this need with everyone I knew, and a dear friend mentioned it to her kids, one of whom was neighbor to the head of trauma at UC Davis Hospital in Sacramento.
I called this doctor and talked to him about the many surgeries Ben had already had (about half of the 23 surgeries he would have in total). He spoke with the doctors in Forth Worth and reviewed his medical files. Then I asked him to take Ben on as a patient, and . . .
He said, "Yes."
And it wasn't a reluctant "yes," but a wholehearted one.
A "willing to do whatever it takes" kind of "yes."
And so, five days after he arrived at the nursing home, Ben checked out. My brother Terry and Frankie rented a large SUV, put the seats down in the back, made a makeshift bed, got Ben inside, and drove him virtually nonstop to Sacramento.
Now I need to mention that Ben couldn't walk. His pelvis was broken, along with one of his legs. He had rods protruding from his pelvic area that formed a kind of halo like you see with people who have head injuries.
The day after Ben arrived, Dr. W called to check on him.
He called me.
Now he had accepted Ben as a patient sight unseen, and we hadn't met yet, but he called to see how Ben was.
I was so grateful for this incredibly kind gesture, which would be the first of many.
A few days after Ben got home, he couldn't hold down food, so I contacted Dr. W and he directed us to the hospital and navigated us through the system to get in as quickly as possible.
That's when we met for the first time.
When I say this man was a Godsend, I mean it in every sense of the word. He was our miracle.
Ben was hospitalized off and on at UC Davis for the next year and a half.
And with every hospitalization, Dr. W was there making sure Ben was OK. He was there, calling me, making sure I understood what was happening, and providing comfort and peace of mind when the surgeries seem like they would never end.
Although it's been almost ten years since the accident, it feels like yesterday.
How do you thank someone who saved your life? Or the life of a loved one?
How do you thank someone for the kindness, generosity and expertise that saved your child?
How do you express the gratitude of a lifetime?
If I said thank you every day for the rest of my life, it would not begin to convey the gratitude and appreciation I have for Dr. W for what he did for Ben, for us.
I hope that in this simple gesture of posting this, the world will know just how wonderful this doctor . . . this man, is.
Dr. W . . .
From Ben, Frankie, and the entire Sharpe family . . .
A million thanks!!!
He said, "Yes."
You see, when Ben had his horrific accident, he was in a trauma center - the wonderful John P Smith Hospital in Forth Worth - for a month, then he was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital for another month, and then he was moved to a nursing home for a few days, five to be exact.
When it was clear the insurance would not cover more than a month at the rehab hospital, the search was on to find someplace where Ben could get the medical attention he needed until he was well enough to get him back home.
The only options we had were nursing homes.
I've said this before, but it's worth repeating - you never want to see your child in a nursing home.
He did move into a nursing home, but I vowed to do everything I could to get him out of there as soon as possible.
So, when a move was inevitable, I began the search for a doctor in Sacramento who would accept Ben as a patient. That's the only way his insurance coverage would continue.
I called every doctor I knew, but no one was willing to accept Ben because he was a multiple trauma patient. The risks were still high that things could go wrong.
Of course I shared this need with everyone I knew, and a dear friend mentioned it to her kids, one of whom was neighbor to the head of trauma at UC Davis Hospital in Sacramento.
I called this doctor and talked to him about the many surgeries Ben had already had (about half of the 23 surgeries he would have in total). He spoke with the doctors in Forth Worth and reviewed his medical files. Then I asked him to take Ben on as a patient, and . . .
He said, "Yes."
And it wasn't a reluctant "yes," but a wholehearted one.
A "willing to do whatever it takes" kind of "yes."
And so, five days after he arrived at the nursing home, Ben checked out. My brother Terry and Frankie rented a large SUV, put the seats down in the back, made a makeshift bed, got Ben inside, and drove him virtually nonstop to Sacramento.
Now I need to mention that Ben couldn't walk. His pelvis was broken, along with one of his legs. He had rods protruding from his pelvic area that formed a kind of halo like you see with people who have head injuries.
The day after Ben arrived, Dr. W called to check on him.
He called me.
Now he had accepted Ben as a patient sight unseen, and we hadn't met yet, but he called to see how Ben was.
I was so grateful for this incredibly kind gesture, which would be the first of many.
A few days after Ben got home, he couldn't hold down food, so I contacted Dr. W and he directed us to the hospital and navigated us through the system to get in as quickly as possible.
That's when we met for the first time.
When I say this man was a Godsend, I mean it in every sense of the word. He was our miracle.
Ben was hospitalized off and on at UC Davis for the next year and a half.
And with every hospitalization, Dr. W was there making sure Ben was OK. He was there, calling me, making sure I understood what was happening, and providing comfort and peace of mind when the surgeries seem like they would never end.
Although it's been almost ten years since the accident, it feels like yesterday.
How do you thank someone who saved your life? Or the life of a loved one?
How do you thank someone for the kindness, generosity and expertise that saved your child?
How do you express the gratitude of a lifetime?
If I said thank you every day for the rest of my life, it would not begin to convey the gratitude and appreciation I have for Dr. W for what he did for Ben, for us.
I hope that in this simple gesture of posting this, the world will know just how wonderful this doctor . . . this man, is.
Dr. W . . .
From Ben, Frankie, and the entire Sharpe family . . .
A million thanks!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment