A Caregiver’s Letter of Gratitude

The treatment of my son’s leukemia was years ago but my heart continues overflowing with gratitude.

At the end of May, Andrew graduated from high school – a milestone that wavered in the hazy distance during those rough initial months of chemotherapy.  In the process of mailing out graduation announcements, Andrew asked if we were going to send one to Doernbecker Children’s Hospital where we spent an inordinate amount of time for a few years while beating Leukemia.  I was astonished.  Andrew downplays his cancer at every turn.  For him to initiate a thank you was a big moment for this caregiver-mom.  My heart feels full with love and gratitude.

Once suggested, the rest of Andrew’s plan was for me to write the letter and send it along with his announcement:

Medical staff are amazing!

If you are medical personnel reading this and have not received a note of gratitude or a thank-you-hug recently, consider this as both.  The work you do: the support you provide families, the medical aid you give patients, the “stuff” you have to deal with on a day-to-day basis blows my mind.  I’m a teacher, not a medical person, and I view daily my input on the lives of my students and I pray I do well.  But you doctors?  You literally hold lives in your hands.  Nurses?  You completely put up with some yucky jobs in order to help patients.  Hospital janitors?  Your job is so incredibly important (having spent time in isolation, we know the value of cleanliness).  I stand in awe of you.  And I thank you.

Gratitude to hospital personnel cannot be expressed enough! #caregiver #beatcancer Click To Tweet

Thank you for saving my son.  Andrew is 14 years away from initial diagnosis.  Our gratitude is heartfelt.

Thank you.