Picture This
It was June – Ann Homola had worked in Community Relations at EMMC for just six months, when Dr. Alan Garber of EMMC’s Palliative Care Program called with an unusual request: “Ann, I don’t know what you have planned for today, but I could really use your help.”
A patient had been admitted to EMMC during the night who was dying from a rare and painful form of cancer. Dr. Garber believed this patient didn’t have long to live and he thought the patient’s wife would appreciate a photograph of her husband before he died. Dr. Garber asked Ann to bring a camera to the patient’s room and take some candid shots to give to the couple.
Ann was quite apprehensive, not knowing what to expect, but she went to the patient’s room to see if she could help. What she found was not what she expected, the couple was warm, welcoming, and obviously in love. Ann spent a couple of hours with them, taking pictures, listening to stories, and sharing laughter.
Out of all the therapies at EMMC Dr. Garber could have prescribed for this terminally ill patient, creating lasting memories and sharing stories were just what the doctor ordered.
The Morale of the Story:
- The best medicine doesn’t always come in a bottle.
- Time is precious; help others live it to the fullest.
- Doing the unusual can often bring the richest rewards.
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