A message to our future doctors
Mary
She said ‘I will never forget the face of the doctor who told me what had happened – I knew immediately from his facial expression that there was nothing else that could have been done that he would not have done. That doctor’s face stayed with me for months, and I can still see it now.’
Despite the tragic loss of her husband, Mary found comfort in this clinician’s compassion and she wanted the medical students to know how much it meant to her.
At home she began to draw roses – flowers which she and her husband had shared a great fondness. She recalled a print of the painting ‘The Weeping Rose’ they had purchased together many years previously and began some drawings in her sketchbook. In the next session, she combined a broken, dried rose with the pin-pricked outline of a dove on white card, telling us that this combination symbolized how she was trying to bring peace back into her life.
This image really touched me today, and I am glad to have read the story behind it. Thank you for posting it here.
This is a very poignant recollection of such a heartbreaking event, and it’s amazing to see artwork from someone so directly involved. I hope that the doctor’s compassion and dedication can serve as an inspiration for all the future doctors who read about it. Thank you so much for sharing this.
How rapidly things can change never ceases to prove itself evident. This story displays with simplicity the pain and nuances of loss. Grateful to have seen and heard Mary’s experience and that as clinicians every manner in which scenarios are handled matters.
This piece stood out for me due to its beautiful simplicity and heartbreaking backstory.
As a medical student, Mary’s words are inspiring and motivational to be the same kind of Doctor who can provide a sense of comfort to any patient or patient’s relatives who come into our care – regardless of the severity of the situation. Compassion is a vital aspect of the work of any healthcare worker and Mary and her husband’s story is testament to this. The idea that the loss of Mary’s husband happened in such an unexpected manner resonated with me, highlighting the fragility of life and the privilege medical students and Doctors have to care for patients.
The juxtaposition of the ‘pin-pricked’ dove shone through for me; the destructive, aggressive nature of the pin-pricked action suggests the anger behind Mary’s grief whilst its combination with an image of a dove – a globally recognised symbol of peace – displays the combination of heartbreak through loss and peace through the Doctor’s actions. Mary’s bravery to see the light in the situation, despite the heartbreak of her husband’s death, is truly inspiring.
I am grateful to Mary for sharing her story with us.