An unseen hero

When I first moved to my current hometown, Cameron was a year old and the idea of having a second child hadn’t really come up just yet in our family. I did not have many people to give me tips on who to pick as a pediatrician. I called my healthcare provider and they gave me a list of names over the phone and told me to pick a name. If I didn’t like the person, I was told to switch after that.

It turns out I picked the person many of the moms in my newsroom saw. Her name is Dr. Margaret Wang. She works in the University of Missouri Heath Care system and works with residents who are going through the medical school. She also works at University of Missouri’s Autism Center. No matter what, she’s been a fabulous listener and guide as my kids grow. When Cameron was little we struggled with constant sinus infections. After almost a year of different strategies to keep him healthy, instead of assuming it was all allergies and asthma, we figured out that Cam’s adenoids were severely infected. His life totally changed after his adenoids were removed.

When Jordan was born, Dr. Wang took a lot of time to listen to my concerns (she still does). She shared with me how autism has touched her family. Her knowledge of the special needs world has given me confidence that she understood our challenges. Sure, a limb difference is different, but Dr. Wang has given me an incredible amount of support as I’ve grown as an advocate. She has taken extra time to listen to what were doing to help Jordan and Cameron’s growth. She has helped me brainstorm treatments and therapies. She didn’t have all of the solutions. But she was honest about that. I feel incredibly lucky to have had her in my corner the whole time.

If you have a doctor who has given you extra support, there’s a chance for you to give thanks as well. The Autism Science Foundation is observing National Doctor’s Day on March 30th. With a donation of $15, you can send a personalized note to your doctor. It’s a cool and simple way to say thank you.

I’m getting the word out pretty late. This opportunity ends on Friday, March 30th! Feel free to go to this page to pay for a special message to your doctor.

Thank you Dr. Wang. I appreciate all of the time and support you’ve given our family through the hard and easy stuff. I feel very lucky.