"Thank you, Thank You Very Much"

The following thank you addendum was written by my father on behalf of the family:

We must express our thanks to all the wonderful doctors at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) and to the dedicated nursing staff. Due to their skill and effort, Lisa survived the waves of trauma she experienced over the three week period starting January 22nd.

It was a period of ambulance rides to the emergency room (during severe winter weather), intensive care, cauterization, numerous transfusions, endoscopies, embolization, hemorrhagic shock, blood clot, TAE procedure, hopeful waiting for the next hemoglobin count, and all-night vigils in the room by Juan, Marita, and Susan.

We are grateful for the visits of Lisa's friends, co-workers from Children's Hospital (CHOP), Doctor Doolin, nurses Mary and Chrissy from her Guatemala trip, the HUP staff that followed Lisa's progress after she transferred to other units, and to Father Sam.

Lisa's spirit remains strong. She inspires us. Thank you. Our emotional state these past weeks can be summed up by the two pictures of the Philadelphia skyline taken from Lisa's hospital room.   ~Hermann