My "Thankful" For Today

Thanksgiving is fast approaching.
A day which has really come to mean for most people a day to eat turkey, watch football, and to state our "thankfuls" on social media sites.
I am reminded of the biggest thank you I should bestow on someone who is in my life.
My thankful message goes to one individual who, without him, we wouldn't have any more thankful days to record.
I want to thank our pediatrician.
His name is Dr. Benjamin Brooks.

Our relationship began when we moved to Decatur in 2007.
We needed a new doctor and I had looked and looked before we loaded up the U-Hauls and headed south leaving our pediatrician at North Suburban Pediatrics in Evanston.
I like living in the digital age.
I like doctors and other professionals who have web sites.
I like being able to openly get information about someone, their view points, where they went to school, their views on vaccinations.
So, I scoured the world wide web and I kept coming back to one name...Ben Brooks.
I made an appointment for a visit shortly after we would be in our new house.
There was only one problem for me.
There had been no photo of this doctor.
So, as I waited in the examining room with my then two year old Zoe I was a bit apprehensive as to who would walk through the door.
I was thinking "old guy, white jacket, stethoscope around the neck."
Ugh.
But when the door opened I got quite a surprise.
In came a guy who was about my age, with a soul patch, earrings, and a studded leather belt.
The heavens opened up, light streamed in the tiny window, and I heard a melodic chorus of Hallelujah!

So, Dr. Ben Brooks has been our pediatrician since 2007.
We have seen him for all of the regular stuff...flu shots, a possible bead up the nose (which wasn't there by the time he looked up Zoe's schnoz), childhood vaccinations.
He came to see Gigi before she left the hospital after her birth in 2008.
My dad was in the room the day he came in to visit her.
He thought Dr. Brooks was one of our friends.
He was wearing a leather jacket and blue jeans.
Nope dad, that's our pediatrician.
It took him a while to believe it.

But everything went to a different level on September 7, 2010.
Dr. Brooks was on his game that day.
Had us come right into the office after I declared Zoe's symptoms that early Tuesday morning.
Wasted no time looking her over and having his associate examine her as well.
Called us right back in, sped us back to one of his examining rooms after he got the results of her bloodwork.
He cried tears as he told us that Zoe had leukemia.
He became a part of our family for life at that moment.
He will always be a part of our history.
We will forever be indebted to him.
He has saved our daughter's life.
He had on his Superman suit that day and helped save a life with his quick diagnosing.
Saved the life of my daughter that is my life as well.
If he hadn't been on his game that day and poo-pooed our concerns things may be different today.
I feel an indebtedness to him like no other.
He's in line with Zoe's oncologist.
Two men who have given us a great gift.
The gift of life for our daughter.
The gift of a future.

If Dr. Brooks' kids, or wife, or even himself need a kidney, they need to call me.
I'll give them one.
No second thoughts.
I am forever grateful to my pediatrician.
Earrings and all...

The last photo taken of Zoe before her diagnosis
and the last photo I've taken of her recently, Nov 6th.