This may seem like an unnecessary article but I have found it to be very important. Let me explain.

Kayla was taken by ambulance to the hospital when she was diagnosed with leukemia. I called SunStar the company that ran the ambulances. I made sure I noted down the ambulance number and when I called the person on the other end of the line she automatically assumed that I was filing a complaint. When I told her that I wanted to state how happy I was with the men who took care of my daughter she was quite surprised and happy. It was shocking to me that this company was so used to complaints that they did not think a call could be anything else. What a sad state of affairs.

During our first six months of treatment I called our oncologists quite a bit. There were many late night conversations while they were on call. I gained insight into the very long hours doctors work, particularly oncologists. I decided to send a customized letter thanking our oncologist. I especially wanted her to know that even though we had disagreements I still appreciated all of her care and treatment for Kayla. The card was mailed and I did not think about it further. Later when we went to the clinic the doctor came up to me and expressed such appreciation for the card. She literally thanked me at least five times.

Another time our family attended an event hosted by the American Cancer Society. This was held at Disney with free accommodations for attending families. We were given free seminars in many topics affiliated with cancer. Our children were supervised by medical staff in a daily camp in the facility so that the parents were free to get the training they needed. All of these services were free!

This event helped us so much. When we arrived home I put together a Thank You card and sent it to Disney, and The American Cancer Society. A staff member called me many months later and asked us for permission to use our photograph from the card that was sent, in material promoting this event in the following year. When we spoke she brought up my card and thanked me profusely, mentioning that they never get Thank You cards. I was so stunned to hear this. There were at least 100 families at this event and I was the only one to send a card of thanks? This is when lightening struck and I realized that so many of these people that are out there serving others rarely get acknowledgement from the people that they help.

Please, take the time to write a thank you note to your doctor. Send a photo. These doctors have very stressful jobs and work very long hours. On top of this they deal with debilitating illness and death on a regular basis. I never knew the extent of it until the medical world became a part of my daily life. Take the time (a few minutes) to let your medical staff know that you appreciate their efforts. You might lift their spirits for a few hours and that is priceless.