And the Oscar goes to….

And the Oscar goes to….

No one wins an Oscar on their own. Most recipients have a well thought out speech to thank all of those who helped them get where they are. So here is mine. I’m thankful that I can do this sitting on the sofa in pajamas, without fear of tripping and falling in front of millions.

There is a great line in Christmas Vacation where Clark says in reference to cousin Eddie, ” My cousin in-law, whose heart is bigger than his brain…” That phrase can be used to describe me on occasion. Our Rotary District Governor, Margie Eddy-Forbes, spoke to us last fall about Alliance for Smiles and the world service project. This project is close to her heart and you can tell that when she talks about it. I cornered her after she was finished and told her I really wanted to be a part of this project. She gave me the info and encouraged me to apply.

I assumed that when one is crazy enough to spontaneously volunteer to go to Bangladesh for 2 weeks, they simply say “Come on we’d love to have ya!” This is not the case. I didn’t consider that the volunteer pool would be world wide. The application process was more grueling than any job I’ve ever applied for. Thank goodness I had Tina Hollcroft, mission director, and Barbara Fisher, quartermaster, in my corner. Without them I don’t know that I would have even been considered. Even then I had a few obstacles to overcome.

First, my Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support certifications had expired. I told AFS that I would get my certification within 2 weeks. Recertification online was going to cost me $500 out of pocket. I contacted my friend, paramedic/ACLS instructor, Brian Irish to borrow his books. He kindly offered for me to recertify with the fine folks at Redmond EMS in Summerville, GA. Not only was I PALS and ACLS certified 2 days later, he didn’t charge me a dime.

Second, did I mention that I was applying for the position of recovery room nurse and I’ve never technically worked in a recovery room? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve recovered a ton of kids post operatively but they all came directly back to the Pediatric ICU. This is where our outstanding local hospital, Cartersville Medical Center, came to the rescue. They graciously allowed me to come observe for a few days in their recovery room. So, to April and her amazing team of nurses… Thank you for showing me how it’s done in a real recovery room. I couldn’t have asked for a better group to learn from!

I owe a HUGE thank you to the dedicated folks at Alliance for Smiles. You had faith and accepted me despite my short comings. I will not let you down. Please check out the alliance for smiles website at: http://www.allianceforsmiles.org.

I also need to thank Georgia Bone and Joint and Mark Ellis with Physician Sales and Service for donating desperately needed and expensive anesthesia supplies. You guys are awesome!

To Monir, my sweet new friend from Bangladesh, thank you for answering all of my questions, educating me about your beautiful country and hooking me up with Ishana, who will be there to help me when I arrive.

To Randi Sonenshine, you are an excellent editor, especially considering what you have to work with. You make me appear to be a decent writer and have taught me more in a week than I learned in years of school. I realize I am much better with comas than I am with commas.

I couldn’t do this without the support of my incredible friends, who love me as is and don’t ask me to change, all the Rotarians who have played a role, and countless others who wish to remain unnamed. (You know who you are!)

And last but not least, thank you to my family. To my sister, thanks for the tech support. You will make an incredible RN. To my son, thank you for the endless hugs and always making me smile. You have taught me through years of soccer, about giving 110% and being a team player. To my daughter, who is my role model, you make me believe every day that I can do anything I put my mind to. You are amazing. To my husband/ assistant editor, I love you. Thank you for always being there, holding down the fort while I’m on the other side of the world, putting up with me constantly multitasking, and keeping me around for 28 years. You have given me a wonderful life.

The one thing I haven’t mentioned is that I already have an Oscar. My Dad Oscar Leverette. He’s much better than the little gold statue. To my dad and mom, thank you both for teaching me the importance of giving back. You have shown me a lifetime of examples on how to do just that. I love you!