I have new appreciation for the phase, “the hands of a surgeon.” A sweet little boy came in as the first patient. The team was so encouraging and comforting to him as they were putting him to sleep for his surgery. The boy had been getting sick frequently due to chronically infected tonsils and adenoids and this was his chance to get them removed. This condition not only means he was missing a lot of school, but something like this could put a real financial strain on his family.
Doing a surgery like this takes a huge burden off the back of a family who is struggling to get by. Each of these surgeries picks up a whole family, dusts them off, and sends them on their way with a better chance to thrive in the coming months or years.
Another woman had half of her thyroid removed yesterday and they were following up with her today to check her progress. She is one tough and athletic girl who’s first question was, “When can I start running again?”
On a personal note, I stood over these guys in awe. I had never seen a surgery before so it was quite an honor to get to stand right there and watch it all go down. Not only is it fun to watch a master at work but it moved me emotionally when I thought about what they were accomplishing for the families of the people they were serving. You can’t help but whisper to yourself, “This really matters.”
Many of us have had moments this week that have made us say, “I live for this kind of thing.” There is just something about using your gifts as best you can to serve those you’ve been called to.
-Jim Zartman