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Sacred Stories | Our Central American Patient

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“Care of the sick must rank above and before all else, so that they may truly be served as Christ, for he said, ‘I was sick and you visited me’ (Matt 25:36)” and, “What you did for one of these least ones you did for me” (Matt. 25:40).” – Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 36

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A few years ago, a very special patient appeared at our hospital. When he first came, he was weak and his voice was raspy, but he had a story to tell. It was a story of pain and near defeat, but it was also a story of help and hope.

The patient told us he had known for a long time that something was wrong. “I went to doctor after doctor and emergency room after emergency room, and it was always the same,” he said. “I would wait for hours, and they would tell me that nothing was wrong. They wouldn’t listen to my questions or try to help me. All they saw was another Central American who didn’t speak much English. After

weeks, I begged God to take away the pain or let me die.”

Just as the patient reached the end of his rope, a friend took him to another doctor. That doctor told the patient he was very sick with cancer and needed to get to a hospital right away. “I was afraid to go to another hospital,” he said. “I thought they would make me wait for hours only to tell me to leave. But my friend told me he was going to take me to his hospital, and they would take care of me.”

Tears shone in his eyes as a smile wrapped around his face. “The doctors and nurses care for me here. They listen to me and answer my questions. They take time with me and help me understand what is going on. I can feel this is a Christian place, a place where God is served, because of the way I am served.”

During the course of the following year, we continued to care for this special patient as he battled his cancer. We helped the patient and his family through the maze of paperwork needed for documentation and insurance, and provided spiritual support. We came to know and love this gentle man and his young family. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts and prayers, the oncologist reached the end of treatment options and the patient was discharged home with hospice care.

I went to see the patient one last time before he left the hospital. Weak from the long struggle with cancer, he had a message to share: “Please tell everyone thank you and that I am praying for them,” he said. “Thank God for this hospital!”

Yes, thank God for a place where all are treated with compassion and excellence; where everyone is encouraged to look beyond the readily apparent to see the face of God in those we serve. May we always serve all who come here as if we are serving God.

Submitted by Betsy Kammerdiener

From the Sacred Stories Archive

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