Column: Where our gratitude belongs in the COVID-19 fight – Quad City Times

Regardless of this pandemic, people will continue to suffer from heart attacks, traumas, strokes, and other emergencies and will rely on our hospitals to provide care. These supplies help us take care of all our patients, virus or not.

Being a cardiac surgeon is very humbling, yet immensely gratifying. I have been in the Quad Cities for 10 years, and I perform heart surgery at Trinity Medical Center.

Over the years many patients and families have expressed their appreciation to me in various forms. A few years ago, despite our best efforts, a patient passed away in the ICU. During the final moments of her life, her family, clergy and staff were at her bedside praying. After she passed away, the immediate action of her children was to approach me, hug me and offer me condolences. They said, "she was our mother, and this is a great loss for us. However, we know that you treated her like your own mother, and this must be a great loss for you". In fact, they sent me flowers a few days later. I cannot express the emotions that go along with that magnitude of kindness and sincerity.

Recently, I received a letter from a patient that I operated on 10 years ago. He is now 91 years old and thanked me for another 10 years (and going) of life. Though the expressions of gratitude are often directed at me, in reality they are for the entire team. I cannot perform heart surgery alone, and as such, cannot alone accept all the good wishes.

Originally posted here:
Column: Where our gratitude belongs in the COVID-19 fight - Quad City Times