A Patient’s Touch at Howard County General
Mr. Walter Culver
As the community hospital for many in Howard County, the Howard County General Hospital staff is proud to share in some of the most important moments of our patients’ lives…some happy, some sad, and some bittersweet. Recently, a terminally ill patient, Walter Culver, chose to conclude his life with dignity and grace and, in the process, touched the lives and hearts of his HCGH care givers and other employees.
In his own successful career as an interior designer – his work has been published nationally and he has worked internationally – he observed that many of his wealthy clients were discontent, always looking for happiness through material acquisition rather than taking joy in their work. The following passage that he wrote and shared with HCGH staff demonstrates the important role he felt professional passion plays in a person’s career, making it clear that he felt his care team displayed such passion in their work as healers.
| To my care givers, Passion is the key ingredient to professional success. Also, passion is your passport to mobility, recognition and professional rewards; to be all that you can be. Without passion, a man is burdened with self-doubt, poor people skills and disregard for empathy and compassion. Yes, passion is the blunt force that makes your professional pursuits possible. If you find you don’t have passion for your professional pursuits, you will never achieve your long-term goals to give all you can to those who are dependent on your positive reinforcement and your genuine desire to give, to be, to share all that you have. To make the stranger who walked into your life well. To those who chose to be healers; to those who chose to give unconditionally; to those who chose to hold hands, to look into a stranger’s eyes and give a hug of compassionate care; to those who have used their professional people caring skills, “passion,” to quiet my fears and give me the opportunity to heal emotionally, giving me the rational foothold to make hard decisions, I say a heartfelt thank you. I have chosen to change the course of my coexistence. Because of you being gifted, caring health professionals, I have become ready to march on. I am at peace. Thank you, |
RIP Walter. You are missed in this world. Give my Steve a hug from me.
With Love Teresa