Monday, January 14, 2013

A lovely way to say thank you

The relationship between a cancer patient and her oncologist is often very special, enhanced by time spent together, by the up's and down's of the treatment regime, but ultimately by the trust that develops.  Patients are grateful for this experience, even if they know that result will not always be successful.  They offer gifts in return, some tangible and some intangible, and I have come to understand that such gifts are of lasting importance to doctors who have to deal with the mortality that is often associated with these diseases.

Here is a picture of one of the most lovely tangible gifts that I have seen.  This is a tapestry created by a cancer patient as a thank-you gift to her doctor.  It is in an office at Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem and so is seen by relatively few people.  I thought it deserved wider exposure as an example of the humanity that exists in the clinical setting.  In addition to showing the full piece above, I include a detail below so you can get more of a sense of the three-dimensionality, texture, and artistry.

1 comment:

Barbara said...

evidence of humanity in the clinical setting does indeed deserve wide exposure. thank you for posting.