David G. Thoele
Park Ridge, Illinois, USA
Poet’s statement: This poem is about my patient Aaron, who was born, immediately became very sick and blue, and later the same day, died in his parents’ arms. Aaron had severe congenital heart disease, which we ultimately concluded was not compatible with life. Aaron’s parents and I made the difficult decision not to embark on a risky course of treatment with aggressive therapy. Although we made what I think was the right decision, it was not an easy decision, and I am grateful to Aaron’s parents for spending every moment of his short life loving him, touching him, kissing him, and holding him. This was a day I will never forget. This is published with permission from Aaron’s parents, Samantha and Chuck.
No good options
What do you do The baby was born I tried hard What do you do Should we put him on bypass, with no end in sight? Should we do At great cost My surgeon said What do you do If I were he I’d much rather be Don’t poke needles into me I tried my best What do you do We talked and we cried Among the paths No superhuman measures So he spent his last hours Alone with his family
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DAVID G. THOELE, MD, completed medical school at the University of Minnesota, pediatric residency at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.
Highlighted in Frontispiece Fall 2012 – Volume 4, Issue 4
Fall 2012 | Sections | Poetry
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