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A Very Special Doctor: Part Five, His Story Continued (By Johnny Sandusky) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Friday, April 8, 2005
Rated "G" by the Author.
Dr. Wright's story continues, this time as seen through the eyes of one of his younger patients, Johnny Sandusky, who is twelve years old.
I have had the opportunity to meet Dr. Wayne Wright on more than one occasion. I do't know if I would call it a "happy occasion" because at the time I was facing surgery, but he did a lot for me, and I can be very grateful for that.
Now, surgery can be very scary to a kid like myself, but Dr. Wright made sure that I was comfortable, and best of all, he made sure that I was going to be okay. In his own special way, he calmed and comforted me. He would talk to me softly, and he would hold my hand, and if I got cold, he had the nurse bring him a blanket. He knew exactly how I was feeling at the time because he had been in my shoes plenty of times. He had been "under the knife" himself, on many occasions, so he understood the fears and uncertainties that I was facing. See, Dr. Wright isn't your typical doctor: he has spina bifida, which is where the baby's spinal cord doesn't form right when the baby is still inside the mother, being formed. Because of his spina bifida, he is paralyzed from the waist on down, and he has diminished feeling in his lower body; and he can't walk without the aid of braces on his legs or forearm crutches. But he hasn't let his disabilities stop him from doing what he wants to in life, and he eventually became a doctor in the medical field, specializing in anesthesiology.
Dr. Wright is very dedicated in his medical career, and he is also a fine family man and Christian. He goes to our church, Christ Community Assembly of God, and he is very involved in our community when he isn't working. He is married to his wife, Sarah, and they have two small daughters, Brooklyn and Bronwyn, in which the Wrights adopted from China. I have known Dr. Wright for quite a few years now, and he is a very nice man.
Dr. Wright loves to do many things, including spending time with his wife and kids, golfing, reading a good mystery, learning new languages, traveling, and going to church each and every week. But sometimes his free time is curtailed because of his job, which is demanding of his time and stamina; but somehow, he keeps on going, even with his health problems.
I honestly can't say that I don't remember much about my surgeries, but whenever I came from under the anesthesia, Dr. Wright would be standing over my bed, a look of concern and tenderness in his blue eyes, and he would talk to me and reassure me if I was hurting or if I was scared. He would hold my hand, or he'd rub my shoulder or touch my cheek if I couldn't talk (due to the breathing tube that was still in my throat), and somehow, that would always make me feel better. He would also talk with my mom and pop (and the main doctor, the one who did the surgery), and he would reassure mom and pop that I would be okay.
Somehow it comforted me whenever I saw Dr. Wright because of his physical disability. It showed me that even important people like doctors had problems, and it showed me that disabled people could do whatever they wanted to in life, and it always gave me a sense of hope. He had a special affinity for kids, because he felt that he could identify the best with them. After all, he had been in and out of hospitals as long as he could remember, so doctors, surgeries, lengthy hospital stays and recovery times, and pain were familiar territory with him. He know how scared kids were whenever they were facing hospitalization or surgery, so if there was anyone who was suited for the job, it was definitely Dr. Wright. He would also give kids special prizes for "being brave" and enduring hospital stays or painful surgeries, and whenever they got out of the hospital, he always stayed in touch with the them (and their families). Or the families of some of the kids he helped would write to him and thank him for making their child's hospital stay a little more pleasant and easier to bear.
If I grow up to be an adult, I only hope that I could grow up to be like Dr. Wright. He inspires people to live out their dreams, even with having a severe physical disability like spina bifida, and he is doing a lot of good for people whenever they are most in need. I am just glad that he was there for me. I only hope that I can do something good for HIM. He is truly one of a kind!
THIS IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Awesome! Great Write Karen. One of your best, this I know for sure. CAN'T Wait to read more. Don't keep me in suspense too long okay?
These timeless quotations culled from the celebrated corpus of writings by W.E.B. Du Bois are presented with illuminating introductory essays by Aberjhani. Narration of the Audible book performed by Catherine Byers.
I have had the opportunity to meet Dr. Wayne Wright on more than one occasion. I do't know if I would call it a "happy occasion" because at the time I was facing surgery, but he did a lot for me, and I can be very grateful for that.
