We received this letter not too long ago from Jenna's "favorite" Doctor, the one who was her very first contact at her first appointment, took out her "umbilical tumor", ran her quickly through numerous tests during the Christmas holidays last year to find the main tumor, diagnosed her cancer and was the surgeon in a number of her surgeries. We were touched by his generous words & wanted to share them with you:
Dear Pamela and Bruce,
I wanted to tell you that your affection and appreciation is absolutely reciprocal. Jenna has always been a a special patient for me and I know that she has been so for all the specialists that have known and treated her. I don´t say this because of the medical challenge that her case represented from the very beginning but because of the quality of person that Jenna was and the admirable fortitude with which she confronted her illness. We were all conscious that her case was quite advanced with a limited survival rate and we tried to fight with all available resources, but unfortunately the norm is that these situations don´t end the way we would all like and the illness was unstoppable.
Although in the last phase of her illness because of my work obligations [he was her digestive surgeon and not involved in her whole process] I wasn´t able to visit her as I would have liked, during that time I have often thought of you all and frequently asked the endocrinologists and oncologists about how she was she was doing whenever I had occasion. Knowing Jenna and her family has been a life lesson for me. A lesson of love, serenity and inner strength when things go bad. Because of all of this, the one who will always be grateful for having known her is I - and I give thanks to God for that.
Affectionately,
Ignacio
(Dr. Ignacio Machado Romero)
Original letter in Spanish:
Queridos Pamela y Bruce,
Quería deciros que ese cariño y aprecio hacia Jenna y su familia es absolutamente recíproco. Ella siempre ha sido una paciente especial para mí, y se que así lo ha sido para todos los especialistas que la han conocido y tratado. Y no lo digo por el reto médico y quirúrgico que desde el principio supuso su caso, sino por la calidad como persona de Jenna y su admirable entereza para afrontar la enfermedad. Todos éramos conscientes que era un caso muy avanzado con una supervivencia limitada y tratamos de luchar con todos los medios disponibles, pero desgraciadamente lo habitual es que estas situaciones no tengan el final que a todos nos hubiera gustado y la enfermedad ha sido implacable desde el principio. Aunque en la última fase por motivos de trabajo no he podido visitarla tanto como me habría gustado, durante todo este tiempo me he acordado muchísimo de vosotros e interesado por su evolución preguntando a endocrinos y oncólogos siempre que tenía ocasión. Conocer a Jenna y su familia ha supuesto para mí una lección de vida. Una lección de amor, serenidad y fuerza interior cuando las cosas vienen mal. Por todo esto el que estará siempre agradecido por haberla conocido soy yo, y doy gracias a Dios por ello.
Un abrazo.
Ignacio
Photo by: Total Assist Locum Agency
We pray the Lord's blessing on Dr. Ignacio, his colleagues, friends and family, for the care, courage and friendship they bestowed on Jenna and her family. We ask you Lord of Heaven, to bless these many men and women with an intimate, personal encounter with you, the Lord of Life. Give them hope and help in their service to boys and girls, mothers and fathers, the young and elderly. Help them to understand more and more the intricacies of the amazing bodies You have given to us. Let their character grow with their skills and their compassion not wane with the weariness and grief they must so often face. Grant them grace for their weaknesses and mistakes, forgiveness for their sins, resolve for their best intentions, generosity to give away their hours of service to others. May the faith of Jenna, Bruce and Pam give faith and hope to these men and women in their own families days of hardship and darkness. Meet them with love and comfort, dear Lord Jesus. For Dr. Ignacio and these others, receive our thanks and prayers today, God our Father. Amen.
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