A Kidney for Christmas

摘要

When Asmar Lawrence first walked into the small examining room in the Jefferson Hospital Ambulatory Practice (JHAP) Clinic, we both had no idea what the future would hold. It was July, 1998 and I was fresh from medical school. Each week, I looked forward to the JHAP experience to develop my clinical skills and follow patients longitudinally. No longer was my learning prescribed from a textbook, this was the 'real world' of medicine where anything could happen and I was supposed to be in control of it. The long white coat probably helped perpetuate some of that illusion. Fortunately our seasoned faculty mentors provided us residents with reassurance and guidance. What I was about to learn from this young man and his family, however, were lessons of love and compassion which no text, syllabus or mentor could provide. It was, and remains, something which is best "experienced."