To the editor:
Never having been through anything like this before, to say the least, we were frightened and apprehensive about the impending surgery. From the very first appointment we had at Shriner’s, I knew, as scared as I was, my daughter would receive the best of medical care. From the beginning, we have met dozens of people involved with Shriner’s and each and every one was very reassuring and supportive of our concerns.
It is hard to describe from a parent’s point of view, the range of emotions you go through. Being so far away from home and watching your child go through something like this, it is heart wrenching. It tore at my heart when they wheeled her away for surgery, with her crying and begging us not to let them take her in and wishing you were the one in that bed instead of her, and watching her go through the first few days after surgery, wishing you could take the pain away. But through the tears and emotions, the staff at the hospital worked non-stop to comfort all of us, they helped Britt see just how strong and brave she was, and even when she had had enough of the pain, the breathing exercises, the getting in and out of bed, the walking when she really didn’t want to and just wanted it all to go away, they would have a way of making us smile and somehow, we knew that she would be OK.
It has been two weeks since the surgery (everything went great, and she is three inches taller!) and Britt has a lot of work still ahead, but looking back, our whole experience with Shriner’s will be one we will always remember with a new understanding and total appreciation of the whole Shriner’s organization. We had always enjoyed the circus and seeing the cute clowns in all the parades, but we learned that Shriner’s is about so much more. We learned that they are a huge group of people, both locally and abroad, with huge hearts, and some of the most caring people we have ever met.
We would like to thank everyone who was involved in Britt’s surgery: the doctors, nurses and the entire staff at the hospital for providing the level of care and understanding that you do; Dr. Merrill Hersey for referring us to Shriner’s; Tom Clukey for getting the “ball rolling”; Bob and Lisa Dow for providing us a place to stay early on and Bob, thanks for driving, you are the best! Thanks to my “extended family” at Academy General Dentistry, for all your support and understanding, it meant the world to us; thanks to the staff and faculty of Easton Jr./Sr. High School for all your support; thanks to the many people that attended Britt’s “pre-surgery party”; Noreen of The Sunshine Club of Maine for all the help and information you provided; Mike Crawford for all of your help with hotel and travel accommodations; and special thanks to all of our family and friends, both local and away, for all the unconditional love and support and the many phone calls we received, and especially to my mom and dad (Britt’s grandparents) for all you have done and continue to do, we love you all and are forever grateful to all of you!
Thank you, Shriner’s, for caring about children the way you do; and thank you for helping my child.
Brittanee Blodget
Mapleton
