What a “Thank-You” Note Can Do

Recently I received a beautiful "thank-you" card that included pictures of one of our client's children and grandchildren. The card displayed a simple message, “Thanks for fixing our grandpa, Thanks for fixing our dad.”

My co-worker delivered the letter to me while my head lay on my desk as I wished for a miracle to come and silence the phone. The morning was chaotic due to major scheduling issues with the monthly Free Colonoscopy and Endoscope clinic. In general, the mail I receive to my site is copies of bills that need to be handled or completed applications for the patient assistance program medications. Needless to say, I was not excited to lift my weary head to tackle a new pile of work.

I looked at the letter and was surprised to see it was in a small envelope and carried some weight – not likely a bill and definitely not an application. I peeled back the flowery sticker that sealed the envelope and pulled out a homemade “thank you” card. Those two words pack a lot of power, especially on a terrible, horrible, not-so-very-good day. This card brought tears to my eyes and color back to my face after dealing with the chaos surrounding the day. I felt terrible that I couldn't entirely recall who the client was and as it turned out the client was involved in the previous Free Colonoscopy and Endoscope clinic.

I called the client to thank him for the card and describe the wonderful timing of it, he mentioned with great detail how he and his family were overwhelmed with gratitude for the doctors who donated the service. The clients' condition was significantly worse than his doctor thought, the procedure saved his life. The client is now recovering and making significant changes to his life owing it all to the second chance awarded him through our services.

My name is Cathy LaPorte and I am serving a second year of AmeriCorps at Project Access as the clinic referral specialist and the patient assistance program coordinator (PAP). Project Access is a physician volunteer program that provides a community of healthcare to the uninsured and low-income population of Kent County, Michigan. We are a relatively small office providing access to health care for the more than 74,000 people who are uninsured in Kent County.

During my time with Project Access I have adhered to the philosophy "The noblest charity is that which eliminates or reduces an individual's dependence on charity." As a member of the Cherry Street HealthCorps team I have the privilege of seeing (or hearing) successful stories of clients in need who learn to help themselves out of a difficult situation. Serving with Cherry Street HealthCorps at Project Access has provided me many opportunities to see individuals move beyond depending on charity into a life of sustainability.

To learn more about Project Access or Cherry Street HealthCorps please visit: www.projectaccessmi.org and www.cherrystreethealth.com.