The books by the pediatric oncologist Diane Komp continue to move me. They fall into the category of literature that I take in small doses.... not because it is a tough read but because I want to savor it. Like a piece of chocolate when you only have a few.
Diane asserts that she can tell five minutes into her lecture on childhood cancer which people in her classes are themselves survivors. They are fueled by an entirely different motivation than traditional students. Once long ago they themselves were the frightened child under a thin white sheet, looking up into the furrowed brows of a medical team. Having beat the odds, the trajectory of their life has changed from that debt.
One of Diane's students was flunking out, even though he was brilliant. He came to speak to her.
"There is a family secret, that no one will talk about. Every time I get in a biology class I get clammy and my heart races."
His family had chosen not to talk about his brush with death, which somehow left an indelible print he could not explain. In voicing all of this to Dr. Komp he pulled back the sheet of mystery. He could see back into his past, even the shadowy parts, which enabled him to look into his future. Then he stood up to leave.
"You are the best doctor I have ever met. No one has ever helped me as much as you have."
He strode with determination back into his own life, empowered to learn, understand, and heal.
All this, even though Diane had not spoken a word.
