In the healthcare profession, illness is taken in stride, along with dying. However this time of the year is always difficult for patients and workers in the healthcare field. As we prepare to celebrate and enjoy the season; and buy gifts for family, friends and colleagues, we cannot overlook there are some of our patients that we (and likely they) know that this will be their last Christmas and New Year. This year is specially difficult with the tough economic climate. We have two young mothers with widespread cancer who have children whose ages are in single digits. We also had an end-stage lung cancer patient to whom the doctor said, "Hope all your children are going to be with you this holiday." Her reply was, "our daughter from North Carolina may come, if she can afford the gas (petrol)." So this year, instead of our department giving gifts to each other, we elected to pool the money and give it to the two mothers, and pay the gas (petrol) for the out-of-town daughter to visit her mother. Our thirty member department collected close to one thousand dollars. Seeing the smiles on the face of these patients was the best Christmas gift we could ever receive. It is only by the grace of the Almighty that we are well. There could have easily been a role-reversal. Merry Christmas to all Goanetters. Regards, GL
