Late yesterday, we learned one of our pediatricians passed away. Her name was Dr. Laura Pasternak and she was an amazing woman and doctor. She battled breast cancer on and off for the past 13 years. But despite her sometimes failing health, it didn't stop her from opening a very personal pediatric practice dedicated to treating children in a most nurturing and sometimes even unconventional manner. She believed in homeopathic approaches, and didn't always rush to medicate like so many doctors do nowadays. She and the other doctors shared a vision for treating each child personally and thoroughly. The practice is called "Whole Child Pediatrics" and I can't think of a more respresentative name for their approach. The first time I met her, I remember feeling a bit intimidated as she was 6'3". But I soon felt her warm heart and knew we had brought our baby to someone who would care for him as if he were her own child.
When Dylan was an infant around 9 months old, he began having numerous ear infections that led us to her office over and over again. During a particularly bad infection and while we were at her office being seen, she took time to call the most reputable pediatric ENT in our area to have him see Dylan the next day. Had we called on our own to get that same appointment, it would have taken months as specialist pediatric doctors are in such high demand. Dylan was seen the next day, and two days later we were at the outpatient center for him to receive ear tubes. The ENT surgeon told us after seeing the infection in Dylan's left ear, it was so horrible that it was beginning to affect his mastoid bone, which can ultimately result in permanent hearing loss and a host of other lifelong problems. They were able to put the tubes in and relieve his pain, and we believe this very well could have saved his hearing. Had we been made to wait a long time to see the ENT or have the procedure for Dylan, who knows how much worse the infection could have become or what could have happened to Dylan's hearing. Not to mention how much longer he would have been in horrible pain with infection after infection. The tubes are now out, but they did their job perfectly and we're so thankful for the care he received.
A few weeks after the procedure, I wrote Dr. Pasternak a letter thanking her for taking the time to make that call to the ENT for us. She didn't have to do that, and many doctors wouldn't have. She was just an amazing doctor in that way. I'm so glad we had that opportunity to thank her and let her know her efforts did not go unappreciated.
Her cancer went into remission until three years ago, and then she was told she had six months to live. She did everything she could to outlive those statistics and help prepare her medical practice and her family (including her three teenage children) for her departure.
I attended her service today and heard stories about her amazing life. I wish I could list her many accomplishments here, I could write all day. What a life! In 1972, she was one of the top 25 swimmers in the world, missing the 1972 Munich Olympic team by 1/10th of a second. She has traveled and lived all over the world to give medical care to underpriveledged children, and worked on movements to help end apartheid and free Nelson Mandela. She even helped work her way through school by working as a laborer for a steel mill!
I heard her husband talk about his love for her, I heard her children speak in awe of her perserverance. I heard her fellow physicians' admiration for her, and I realize how many lives she touched and inspired. The church was full of patients like me, whose children she has helped and lives she has changed.
We will miss you Dr. Pasternak. May you rest in peace.
2 comments:
I can vouch for her as well. She was a tremendous doctor, and I've judged all pediatricians, since we moved and had to find a new one, against her and her colleagues. My heart goes out to her family.
You could go to her office and you would never have an inkling that she even had cancer, she never let on about it that much.
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