Dear Dr. Adams,

I hope with all my heart that it is you, Dr. Adams, who are reading my letter. If it is not, that's OK too. I admire and respect everyone at the Institute and I'm happy as long as I can share my feelings with someone there. My name is Tacy ...and I'm sixteen. I'm a guy, by the way. I've been doing a volunteer internship [in Florida] this summer and I wish some of what you have was there.

Little things go on there that make the patients feel like pieces of meat. Yesterday I was hanging out with my buddy over in the Spinal Cord Injury Unit and a nurse came in. She said one thing and she said it without a soul. "Martha's supposed to do that." Then she walked out of the room with me sitting next to a man who did what he could with a stick in his mouth. This was right after he told her he needed his diaper changed.

Later on I was escorting a man...from 3 South to X-ray and when I got there, the nurse at the desk said, "Just put him over there." My heart sank as I thought about [him] and as I left I said, "Thanks for the ride, Sir. Have a good one." It makes me sick how it is there. I've realized that much of the world is like this anyways and it's futile to think it will change in an instant. But, Patch, I would like to at least try. Every day when I wake up I ask Jesus to help me see the good in every situation, even if it's bad. I ask him to help me see the beauty in each person. I ask him to help me to be thankful for what I have. And through him, I believe others will see the radiance of my attitude and way of living each day. Then maybe they'll be less apt to be sour, lazy, ungrateful, and indifferent.

There's two ways you can deal with a person. You can serve them or you can turn away from them, either in actions, words or attitude. And it's my understanding that hospitals, nurses, doctors, volunteers, are all meant to serve the needs of people with real needs. Through what you do at the Institute there is hope for change. I know you've already made a huge dent in the medical profession. Not a bad dent, a good one. I like dents anyway though. In fact, I have a nice large one on my car. Sometimes I wonder how it was when the notion of medicine came about. I doubt that what it is now is an improvement.

Peace and love,
Tacy
San Antonio, FL