drs. on the move...

Maymuna woke up this morning and said, “my ear hurts.” We took her to the doctor who confirmed that the cold she’s had the last week has developed into an ear infection in her right ear. She is on antibiotics now, so hopefully we’ll see an improvement soon.

We didn’t get to see our regular pediatrician because Dr. Daniels has left our local practice and is moving to Montana. This makes me inexplicably sad. I found her pretty much by chance when we got here. A colleague of Ozayr’s recommended a doctor but when I called he was not taking any more patients. I asked if I could meet another doctor and Dr. Susan Daniels was available. We met and I liked her right away, I asked if she could be the primary care physician for Maymuna, and later for Hafsa who was not born yet.

Dr. Daniels turned out to be a blessing for our family that I won't forget. When Hafsa was born, Dr. Daniels drove out to the hospital downtown to see her the next morning before she started work. A trip that easily added another hour to her work day. By that time we had already taken Hafsa for an x-ray and she came to talk to us about the possibilities we could expect. I think it was from her mouth that I first really heard the words spina bifida…

Throughout Hafsa’s first days in the hospital, Dr. Daniels continued to drive out to see us in the morning before she started work. After we had our ultrasound, and finally the MRI, it was Dr. Daniels who called us in the hospital and informed us of the test results. She also gave us her personal cell phone number for us to call at any time.

At Hafsa’s one-week checkup Dr. Daniels had a list of experts she wanted us to see, and a battery of tests lined up for Hafsa. She explained that the neurosurgeon’s clinic was out of the way, about 40 minutes from where we live, but “if this were my child” she said, “this is the only person I would want to do this surgery.” There was something about the way she related to us, as a parent, that made me trust her all the more. She has sent us personal notes to our house several times since then. As we have sent more than one to her, relaying the many thanks we owe her.

But it’s not just the big things that make her a great doctor – she never belittled a single sniffle we brought our kids in for, she never acted like she had another patient waiting in the next room, and she always encouraged us to follow our instincts in regards to our children and how they feel.

My brother began his own personal journey towards becoming a doctor tonight. His flight for Australia (via Toronto, via Hong Kong) left at 7 p.m. this evening. I hope for him… everything. I hope he gains knowledge. And I hope he gains skill and valuable experience. I hope he never loses his remarkable compassion for people, and I hope he always uses the same tenderness with his patients as he shows towards his loving nieces. I hope he finds amazement and fulfillment and a touch of awe in everything he learns.

I guess it's a coincidence that both of them are leaving this week. I'll miss them both. But I rationalize that such outstanding people need to shared with the world...