AN ANGEL HELPING AN ANGEL

An Angel Helping An Angel
Christine M. Forlini
Johnston RI

In 1981 I worked as a nurse in a home for children. One day my administrator (Kerry) called me into her office to show me a thank you letter from a doctor. She explained that a week before she had seen a car pulled over on the highway. She pulled over to assist but was afraid to open her door. These were the days before cell phones. She cracked her window and yelled to the man if he needed help. He said yes, he was a doctor going to a local hospital to give a lecture. Kerry proceeded to call from a phone booth for police help. She then returned to the scene until the police responded. No names were exchanged that day. A week later here is this thank you letter. The doctor had gotten her address via her license plate. The letter thanked her for her kindness and had explained the situation. He added that if anyone should need his services as an OB/GYN oncologist she should not hesitate to contact him. I remember reading the letter and thinking it was nice. But I left the office and wondered why did she share this with me? Other than an act of kindness why was my busy nursing schedule that day interrupted with this?


A few weeks after the letter Kerry learned her sister needed the services of a doctor such as this one. And he proceeded to help the sister and thankfully she was nurtured to good health. We thought that was the reason for this mysterious meeting.

A year later, I got a phone call from my doctor at my work, of all places, who told me that I had Stage 3 cancer and I was going to die if I didn't do something immediately. I followed up with chief of Gynecology in RI, but when I mentioned I had the opportunity to see the doctor in Boston who is in the story above, he insisted by all means go there to see the man. This doctor proceeded to show me a textbook the doctor in Boston had contributed to for the med students.


One week later, I was having an eight hour surgery for this cancer which had gone undetected despite my constant complaints. The doctor (who is the one from the highway) who preformed my surgery had just perfected the procedure he was performing -- the very procedure he was traveling to RI to teach the med students at the local hospital.


The chances were grim that I would do well as the cancer was already spread to Stage 3. Well, no chemo was needed, and no organs surrounded by the cancer had been invaded. It is now 28 years later and I am well but I can speak of this as if it had just happened yesterday.


Dr. James Nelson Jr, is my angel. He is now retired, and I will never forget him. Nor will I forget my angel Kerry for her angelic way with this doctor on the highway that very cold morning.

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