Think about how a child’s childhood is supposed to be. I imagine an ideal childhood would be full of happiness and maybe a trip to Disney or two. As a little girl growing up I was happy. My favorite Disney Princess was Ariel. My favorite movie was Finding Nemo. I’m very fortunate to have lived the childhood that I did. However, it wasn’t perfect, and at times it was very scary.

I suffered from Chronic Ear Pain growing up. At just nine months old I had my first surgery. My doctor at the time surgically put a set of temporary tubes in my ears. After that surgery nothing got better. I’d wake up from a sound sleep screaming and vomiting because I was in so much pain as I grew up. By the time I was eight years old my second grade self had already underwent 8 surgeries including six more sets of temporary tubes and the surgical re movement of my tonsils and adenoids. When my mom took me to see my ear nose and throat doctor, he again told her I would need to have another set of tubes surgically placed in my ear. At that moment my mom decided enough was enough.

My mom began her research convinced there was a better solution, a better doctor out there who would see something different than what the doctors at my former practice kept seeing. That’s when she found the Michigan Ear Institute. She wrote a letter to the institute pleading with them to examine me. When they accepted me as a patient, that’s where I first meant Dr. Jack M. Kartush, M.D. When you first meet doctors, especially as a child I think there a certain amount of fear placed within you. A fear of the unknown, or the fear of a stranger looking inside your body. However, from moment I meant Dr. Kartush I didn’t feel fear, I felt hope. He gave me hope.

After examining me he discovered two things. The first had to do with ear drum. The way it was described to me was that it, my eardrum, was as thin as a single strand of hair. The second was that I had a rare growth behind my eardrum that they called Cholesteatoma. The solution was surgery but this one wasn’t going to be as, “simple,” as the others had been.

I woke up one morning to my mom smiling. I know now she wasn’t very happy, but rather hiding her own fears behind her smile to make me feel safe. I knew what day it was and I ran and hid behind the space in between the wall and the couch in my living room. She bribed me to come out from behind the couch with a new set of Strawberry Shortcake pajamas. So, I metaphorically and literally put on my big girl (pajama) pants and went to the car.

My Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt, and Uncle met us at the hospital. I got my I.V. which, as oddly as this sounds, I would prefer any day over a quick shot or getting my blood drawn after so many surgeries. Dr. Kartush came in before my surgery and reassured my parents he would treat me as if I was his own daughter. It was then that I went into surgery to undergo the collapse and rebuilding of my eardrum, the removal of my Cholesteatoma growth, and the placement of a permanent tube all within my right ear. The risks of this surgery ranged from complete loss of hearing to death, but the result was well worth the risks. Dr. Kartush not only made me feel hope, but he gave my parents hope as well. He made the effort to come see them personally when he knew my surgery was going to go longer than expected. Then, once the surgery was over, he made the effort again that most doctors wouldn’t do and came to visit me in my hospital room.

That surgery changed my life. I only underwent two more ear surgeries after that, one as a precaution to make sure my Cholesteatoma growth didn’t begin to grow again and the other surgery to remove the permanent tube he placed in the first surgery. Even the things he told me I would need to do for the rest of my life I don’t have to do anymore, including swimming with ear plugs. Now, as a 19-year-old I look back on that time in my life as a distant memory i can vaguely remember.

Now you’ve read my story and hopefully you recognize what a real life living blessing Dr. Kartush was to me. He gave me hope, gave me answers, and then fixed what was wrong with me. It’s because of him that I can still hear. It’s because of him I’m able to go to a concert and actually hear the artist. It’s because of him that I was able to hear myself sing in middle school and high school choir. It’s because of him that I was able to go to New York City and physically perform and here myself sing on a Broadway stage. It’s because of him that today I’m able to hear my college professor’s lectures. It’s because of him that I can hear my dogs pathetic tough bark despite her non intimidating tiny 10lb self. Overall it’s because of him that I can hear anything and everything. I wouldn't trade my hearing for anything in the world.

I will never be able to thank Dr. Kartush enough for all her has done for me. Unfortunately, as the adult that I am now, I won’t be able to thank him at all. I would love to thank him once again now, since I fully understand the seriousness of my surgery and the impactful change it had on me then, now, and forever. Dr. Kartush is now retired though, which he very well deserves because as much as he had an impact on my life, I’m sure he impacted others as well. If I were able to see him again though I would thank him and tell him how truly wonderful of a man and a blessing that he was to me. He saved my hearing. Something that I use every day that could have easily had been taken away from me with or without the surgery. I will forever be grateful for him and wish him nothing but the best retirement because once again no one else is more deserving.

I wish I could say that I want to become an Emeritus Physician like Dr. Kartush and be able to help other kids like myself but in reality I don’t have a strong enough stomach when it comes to blood and puke. However, I hope if there’s a kid out there like me or even a kid that is going to have a surgery whether it be big or small reading this, just know not to be afraid. Things will get better, I’m proof. Save your mom the bribing money to get you in the car to go to surgery. Instead as for a post op stuff animal. They will keep you more company after surgery more then pajamas would.

Some people take being healthy for granted. This experience consumed half of my lifetime on this Earth already. The years following it made me stronger and made me truly want to live everyday as if it were my last. Life is unpredictable. I was lucky that there was something that could be done to help me, but sadly that’s not the case for some children that suffer from other kinds of medical problems. I wouldn't wish what happened to me or anything worse on any child. One day I hope we, as a society, can find a cure to all childhood diseases.