Dear
Dannye:
You
reviewed my poetry book The Last Good Kiss some years ago, and I appreciated that from
you. I am exploring gratitude at my ripe
age, deep gratitude to people who have made a visceral difference in some
profound aspects of my life.
One
of these, Dr. Ron Virmani, who delivered my only child in 1990, is the subject
of this letter.
In
1988 (March 27) in Eskisehir, Turkey, where I was teaching English at the
University there, I had a stillborn daughter, weighing 600 grams at the 21st
week; thereafter, my husband and I vowed to have another child, even though I
was 41 at this time. We returned to the
USA in June 1988. Sure enough on
February 14, 1990 I became pregnant for the 2nd time in my
life. While teaching English composition
at CPCC and UNCC, I was insured through Kaiser Permanente who appointed Dr.
Virmani, originally from New Delhi, a young Rutgers graduate, as my primary
physician.
He
insisted on having my Turkish medical records and regulated and closely
monitored my high risk pregnancy. Exam
visits were bi-monthly instead of monthly.
He performed a surgical cerclage at the 18th week to stitch
up the cervix, a preventative measure learned from my previous pregnancy
history. My son Dylan was born with no
problems on November 8, 1990. He weighed
nine pounds.
I
attribute this success to Dr. Virmani’s meticulous planning and expertise
regarding “older” mothers.My life would have been profoundly different had my
child not come into the world. The
stillbirth planted the seed of desire, with the spiritual knowledge of
motherhood and its great joys. My sorrow
was turned into a great elation and fulfillment of mothering. I was immensely happy for those first years,
and my exuberance and delight in mothering have never ceased. My son Dylan is now twenty-four.
Dr. Ron Virmani’s unswerving patience, skill, knowledge and perseverance gave to me
this unbelievable gift of a child to nurture for the rest of my life. I can never thank him enough.
Through
the years, we would run into Dr. Virmani at Freedom Park or the grocery store,
and we have become friends. I have been
able to truly thank him and let him know the importance of his work.
In
1995, he lost his hospital privileges for reasons unknown to me. He has been forced to fight for his rights to
practice medicine in Charlotte. I was
unaware of his trouble until recently, but I know this man is a capable and
excellent obstretics-gynecologic physician.
I hope his rights and privileges will soon be restored.
He
has been marginalized in recent years and has performed abortions. Many anti-abortion political fanatics have
made his life miserable for years. Yet
he has persevered. I will always support
him and his right to practice medicine.
Lynne
Shrum
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