Ever seen a child jump up to go see the doctor? Mine do. Because their doctor is Doctor Shrek, AKA Doctor Cecilio Eck—the brethren with the furry stethoscope and the good vibes. And when my younger son enters his office, his little eyes light up, and the light is matched: Doctor Eck matches the energy every time, and says, “Weh gone on wid mi lee brethren?” My boy has asthmatic bronchitis, so more often than not, the issue will be related to that. But even on my son’s worst days, Doctor Eck is always jovial, always keeping it lighthearted, always most reassuring.
Never has a person been as suited for their profession as Doctor Eck is. He not only treats his patients effectively, but he treats them holistically—meaning he treats their entire little souls, their entire being. And he treats their worried parents. He gives us just enough information so that we understand, but not so much that we are overcome by anxiety. He is a world-class professional who returned to the patria to serve the most vulnerable.
If you have an appointment at his private clinic, and he is addressing the needs of one of his sick babies at our nation’s largest public hospital, you’ll wait. Because he believes in equality—so the fact that you have come to his private clinic won’t make him rush the care he’s providing for his patient at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Over the years we’ve worked with him, he has spoken often, wistfully, hopefully, about how he’d like to improve things there for his young patients and their caretakers.
If you’ve had a sick child hospitalized at the KHMH in the last decade, more likely than not, if you’ve not met him, he’s been behind the scenes working, caring, advocating.
This is the man who fights for his life tonight, and we want him and his family to know: we are with you. So very many are with you.
E. Espat
Isaiah 40: 30, 31 “Boys will tire out and grow weary, and young men will stumble and fall. But those hoping in Jehovah will regain power. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not tire out.” (NWT)