Miracles We Have Seen Read online

  Praise for Miracles We Have Seen

  “As a witness to one of the miracles recounted in this uplifting book, I welcome Dr. Rotbart’s extraordinary collection of compelling testimonies from leading physicians. Take a look, and have your faith in God—and in his agents of healing, doctors—renewed!”

  —Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York

  “We read so many accounts of freak accidents and rare diseases bringing misery into the lives of people who deserve better. That is why it was so refreshing, so soul-restoring to read these accounts of near tragedies that were pre-

  vented by human efforts, good will, and caring.”

  —Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People and Nine ­Essential Things I’ve Learned About Life

  “In an age of technology and indifference, these remarkable essays inspire wonder, awe, and a sense of pride of being human. They demonstrate that the miracle of miracles is that they do happen when health professionals combine their medical skills with unrelenting devotion to the art of healing.”

  —Bernard Lown, MD, Nobel Peace Prize recipient on behalf of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War; Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health; Emeritus Senior Medical Attending, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility

  “The remarkable stories from Miracles We Have Seen will stay with you long after you have put the book down. You will be moved to tears and share in the joy, and sometimes sorrow, experienced by the dedicated doctors who deal with life-and-death issues every day. Modern medicine goes far beyond technology; it is the human factor and the personal relationships that make all the differ-

  ence. The resilience of the patients, the determination of the doctors and their medical teams, and the serendipitous timing of events that can unexpectedly change an outcome will leave you with a sense of awe and optimism.”

  —Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and creator of The Success Principles series

  “A beautifully written collection from physicians witnessing the mystery and power of the human body and spirit in the most extreme circumstances. This is a unique contribution that will inspire and edify.”

  —Jerome Groopman, MD, Recanati Professor, Harvard Medical School, New Yorker staff ­writer, and co-author with Dr. Pamela Hartzband of the New York Times bestseller Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What Is Right for You

  “Miracles are all around we just need to pause and be still, and recognize them. This book is a testament to the medical miracles that happen every day when skill, science, and spirituality meet.”

  —Rev. Mpho A. Tutu van Furth, Executive Director, Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation and co-author, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, of Made for Goodness

  “Miracles We Have Seen opens a window into the complex world of the art and the science of medicine for all to see the compassionate miracles dispensed there. Take a good look . . . you will be inspired!”

  —Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, 17th Surgeon General of the United States

  “This is one of the best books I have ever read. The stories in this book will make you want to cry, cheer, embrace, pause and reflect on the miracles that occur each and every day. What a wonderful gift to all of us, captured in this timeless treasure.”

  —Michelle B. Riba, MD, MS, past President, American Psychiatric Association; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan; Director, Psych-Oncology Program, ­University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center

  “These stories by doctors who are true healers have moved me to tears and opened my heart. Each, like the great doctor-writer Chekhov, brings to medicine a sense of compassion, deep vulnerability, love and hope for those who suffer, and the ability to acknowledge that human life is a precious gift.”

  —Ruth Behar, author of Traveling Heavy: A Memoir in between Journeys and the Victor Haim Perera Collegiate Professor of Anthropology, University of Michigan

  “For patients, their families, and all the rest of us, Miracles We Have Seen is a welcome reminder that even the most dire diagnoses can have happy endings, thanks to the inspiring dedication of doctors.”

  —Diane Debrovner, Deputy Editor, Parents Magazine

  “These stories are remarkable—surprising, inspiring, and full of joy and awe. The voices of these doctors remind us—as they remind themselves—of how much we have to learn from the people we care for, and of the importance of acknowledging the elements of good luck, science, care, coincidence, and wonder.”

  —Perri Klass, MD, Professor of Journalism and Pediatrics, Director, Arthur L. Carter ­Journalism Institute, New York University

  “Deeply moving and eloquently written, this remarkable collection reminds us how the art and science of medicine intersect with good luck, coincidence, and the unfathomable. For physicians, these essays call to mind our own stories that inspired us toward the healing of our patients.”

  —Jeremy A. Lazarus, MD, past President, American Medical Association

  “Doctors tell the human side of medicine in these stories—revealing the heart and soul that go into truly ‘caring’ care.”

  —Jimmie C. Holland, MD, Wayne E. Chapman, Chair in Psychiatric Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, author of The Human Side of Cancer: Living with Hope, Coping with Uncertainty

  “The art of medicine involves empathy and communicating with families in a very personal way. The science of medicine requires understanding how evidence from well-designed research transforms patient care. The vignettes in this book are at the interface between the art and science. They touch our human spirit in such a profound and inspirational way. This remarkable book shows the humility with which medicine should be practiced and how fortunate physicians are to have such meaningful experiences.”

  —Stephen Berman, MD, past President, American Academy of Pediatrics; Director, Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health; Professor, University of Colorado School of Medicine and School of Public Health

  “These fascinating and inspiring stories reinforce the remarkable things that medical care can do, as well as what is out of our control as clinicians. They remind us of the limits of our knowledge, just as they keep us in awe of the unpredictability of human illness and health.”

  —Steven E. Weinberger, MD, Executive Vice President and CEO, American College of Physicians

  “These powerful and true stories by physicians offer hope from where faith intersects with science and real healing begins.”

  —Jeffrey J. Cain, MD, past President, American Academy of Family Physicians

  “The drive to understand cause and effect is central to human nature. But so, too, is awe in the face of mystery, fate, and the ineffable. The kaleidoscopic collection of stories that fills this volume evokes such awe. Miracles of life and death viewed through the lens of medical science make our lives richer for all that cannot be explained, for the wonder of that which is just beyond our grasp.”

  —Larry Kramer, President, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, former Dean, Stanford Law School

  “A remarkable volume of essays detailing prolonged effort and novel therapies leading to miraculous outcomes. Empathic care, co-produced by extraordinary teams of medical professionals, their patients and families. Every page speaks ‘gratitude.’ These stories will contribute powerfully to cures, and equally to cures of burn-out and despair.”

  —Richard I. Levin, MD, President and CEO, The Arnold P. Gold Foundation; Emeritus ­Professor of ­Medicine, New York and McGill Univ
ersities

  “The glory of medicine is the hope and inspiration that it provides to all, to save lives, to preserve spirits, to truly help humanity. This book captures the individual spirits of the families and the physicians. We devote ourselves to the families impacted by diseases and tragedy, and feel everlasting gratitude to the physicians providing care at the most difficult of times. This motivating book lifts all of our spirits. It gives examples of adversity, and then instills faith and a sense of triumph. The human spirit truly prevails.”

  —Jeanne A. Conry, MD, PhD, past President, The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Assistant Physician-in-Chief, The Permanente Medical Group

  “At a time when the labor of the ideal physician is described as routinized and industrialized—standard work leading to standard outcomes—these stories inspire. These wise physicians remind us that we are at our best when we are open to the surprises, the graces, and even the miracles that occur when we are present for the ill.”

  —Abraham M. Nussbaum, MD, MTS, Chief Education Officer, Denver Health; Associate Director of Medical Education, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado; and author of The Finest Traditions of My Calling: One Physician’s Search for the Renewal of Medicine

  “To practice medicine means that we physicians keep trying to get better. The leading edge for new treatment approaches sometimes emerges from collections of inspiring case reports like these. Let us integrate the mysterious into medical scientific thinking by acknowledging that we are all part of a greater consciousness and that serendipity and synchronicity can highlight the way.”

  —Bernard Beitman, MD, author of Connecting with Coincidence

  Miracles

  We Have

  Seen

  America’s Leading Physicians

  Share Stories They Can’t Forget

  Harley A. Rotbart, MD

  Health Communications, Inc.

  Deerfield Beach, Florida

  www.hcibooks.com

  Other Books by Dr. Rotbart

  940 Saturdays

  No Regrets Parenting

  Germ Proof Your Kids

  The On Deck Circle of Life

  Human Enterovirus Infections

  Bitter Creek written by Bernie Leadon

  © Likely Story Music

  Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  is available through the Library of Congress

  © 2016 Harley A. Rotbart, MD

  ISBN-13: 978-07573-1937-2 (Paperback)

  ISBN-10: 07573-1937-8 (Paperback)

  ISBN-13: 978-07573-1938-9 (ePub)

  ISBN-10: 07573-1938-6 (ePub)

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of Amer­ica. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo­copying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

  HCI, its logos, and marks are trademarks of Health Communications, Inc.

  Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.

  3201 S.W. 15th Street

  Deerfield Beach, FL 33442–8190

  Cover and interior design by Lawna Patterson Oldfield

  Cover and author photos by Sara Rotbart

  Cover design by Larissa Hise Henoch

  ePub created by Dawn Von Strolley Grove

  To my wife, Sara, and to

  our kids, Matt and Nurit, Emily, and Sam,

  each a miracle in his or her own way.

  To our grandson Gideon for the joy and wonder

  he brings to all of us each day.

  To Samantha and Eitan

  for their friendship and love.

  And in memory of Uncle Donald and Lizzy,

  who started this book with me but

  couldn’t help finish it.

  As soon as man does not take his existence for granted, but beholds it as something unfathomably mysterious, thought begins.

  —Dr. Albert Schweitzer

  (1875–1965)

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Contributors

  Introduction Harley A. Rotbart

  Chapter 1. SPECTACULAR SERENDIPITY

  Father Karl’s Miraculous Timing Dale S. Adler

  The elevator door opened and out fell a priest in full cardiac arrest. The location of that elevator, and the identity of the person waiting for it on the other side of the doors, could not have been more fortuitous.

  An Unlikely Discovery by the Unlikeliest Person Ryan Jones, Claudette Dalton, Gilbert Upchurch Jr.

  Volunteering as he did for many years as a “pretend” patient helping medical students learn to perform a physical exam, the topic of this session became too real for this man. This is the story of a student, a teacher, a surgeon, and a volunteer who that day became a real patient.

  Three Teens and a Miraculous Machine Mary Catherine Finn Ring, Bruce L. Ring

  In the devastation that was Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, a tiny clinic in an impoverished village received a donated EKG machine that was broken on arrival. This is the story of three teens and the miracles they made possible with that machine.

  An Impossible Delivery Amanda Yeaton-Massey, Kay Daniels

  A forty-year-old infertility patient gave up on her prayers of conceiving after many years and many tries at in vitro fertilization. Unbeknownst to her or her doctors, though, she did conceive. Then the unthinkable happened.

  Exploding Blood Cells Philip L. Glick

  This surgeon was standing at the operating room table ready to perform a routine procedure on a fourteen-year-old with a serious disease. As the boy was being prepared for surgery, a sudden, unexpected, and life-threatening complication developed.

  Right Where She Needed to Be Matthew Old

  A college freshman had been having alarming symptoms for more than five years. After seeing many doctors and receiving many wrong diagnoses, she began a new job that saved her life.

  When Sister Bernie Prays for You Claudette Dalton

  All they needed was the impossible: a mobile mammogram van at a moment’s notice. No such van or equipment was available, until a very special nun intervened. As a result, countless lives have been saved.

  He Was Lucky He Had AIDS Mark F. Cotton, Barbara Laughton

  For a baby infected with the AIDS virus, especially in Africa, the news was seldom good. But for this baby, the AIDS infection turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

  Chapter 2. IMPOSSIBLE CURES

  A Gift to Others Becomes a Miracle for Their Child Rodney E. Willoughby

  No one had ever survived a full-blown rabies infection until this teenager did after receiving an experimental treatment—and a hands-on blessing from the man who would later become a cardinal and the Archbishop of New York.

  The First and Still the Most Miraculous Harley A. Rotbart

  The first child diagnosed with AIDS in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, was born years before treatment was available. He has become one of that disease’s greatest survival stories, but first he had to overcome hurdles in his young life that made AIDS the least of his worries.

  Too Close to Home Denise Bratcher

  A ten-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital with bacterial meningitis. When he developed seizures and his right pupil became fixed and dilated, doctors were forced to tell his parents the dread prognosis. That became even more agonizing when one doctor recognized this child and his family.

  A Vacation Like No Other Richard Westcott

  This man’s asbestos-related cancer spread from inside his chest all the way through his ribs and onto his breast. With his condition deteriorating badly, his wife decided they needed a getaway from all
the doctors and treatments. Their visit to a monastery on a Mediterranean island changed their lives.

  The Whoosh of the Ventilator Mary Anne Jackson

  A newborn baby developed severe respiratory failure, unresponsive to the most aggressive intensive care. As the medical staff and family prepared to withdraw the child’s breathing support, they put her on her mother’s lap for a final good-bye.

  A Silent Miracle Christopher Stille

  An eight-year-old child was found to have a huge tumor in her abdomen originating from, and still attached to, her spinal cord. This could only mean one thing, and it was bad.

  When “Alternative” Becomes the Only Alternative David M. Polaner

  A two-year-old girl was dying of respiratory failure despite receiving the maximum breathing support her doctors could provide with medicines and machines. Then her mother asked if she could call in a Chinese healer.

  It’s Alive! Robert J. Buys

  A man suddenly lost his vision from a blockage in the main artery in his eye, a condition that almost always results in permanent blindness. What his doctors saw, however, haunts them to this day.

  The Short Discharge Summary Joann N. Bodurtha

  A mysterious illness caused an eighteen-month-old baby to nearly shrivel away. His debilitated state left him in total body failure, stranded in a storm on a remote Native American reservation, twelve hours from the nearest hospital that could be expected to provide adequate care.

  A Limp Dish Rag Adrienne Weiss-Harrison

  A teenager arrived in her doctor’s office with a high fever and signs of severe infection. None of her caregivers could explain what happened within the next few minutes.

  Whatever the Outcome, It Will Be Okay David Kimberlin

  Their daughter had a dread fungus infection complicating her leukemia. The fungus invaded her eye and her brain, inevitably an incurable condition. But that’s not how they chose to see it.

  The Self-Healing Heart Eugenia Raichlin

  A pharmacy student developed a severe heart condition for which a heart transplant was his only hope. Just as a donor heart became available, he became infected with bacteria in his blood that would make transplantation impossible.