Given one well-trained physician of the highest type and he will do better work for a thousand people than ten specialists. (William James Mayo)

Just over 21 years ago, I was a brand new mom with a newborn laying in my hospital room at the Women’s Hospital in Indianapolis. Like a conscientious new parent will often do, I had interviewed and chosen a pediatrician ahead of time for my new baby. Now that little Nicholas had arrived, the hospital called her office. The woman who showed up to examine him was not that doctor. That doc was on maternity leave. Instead, I was greeted with the very young and super friendly, Dr. Eva Freeman. None of the nurses had ever seen her before, and I am fairly certain he was the first baby she saw at that hospital. We liked her immediately and the match was made.

Since then, she has been the pediatrician for all three of my boys. At the tender age of about 2 months old, and fresh out of the NICU, I presented my second son, Drew, at her office with a very high fever. Fearing meningitis, Dr. Freeman did a spinal tap in her office. I am pretty sure there were 3 adults in that room who were pretty rattled that day– including Dr. Freeman and her nurse. Thankfully, he didn’t end up having meningitis, but from his other symptoms she suspected he might have kidney reflux and she referred us to Riley Hospital for Children. I clearly remember the specialist there saying to me after his tests and exam that he had never seen a child this young correctly diagnosed with the condition. He said, “You have a sharp pediatrician.” Indeed we do. I later learned that when she did her training there at Riley Hospital, she had encountered a young man who had lost his life to the VERY TREATABLE condition, because it was simply caught too late. A few years later, the same Riley doc surgically repaired Drew’s kidney issue. Because he was diagnosed at such an early age (and we were able to intervene with meds to stave off infections while we waited for him to grow big enough to have the surgery), his kidneys were not damaged. That early intervention was all thanks to the talented Dr. Freeman!

We have had very little medical drama since then, but Dr. Freeman has continued to treat my 3 guys over many years with her signature smile and common sense approach to medicine. We’ve always felt her generosity of spirit, courtesy and understanding as a blessing. This morning as she was jokingly “searching his ears for Superman” just like she used to do when Zach was very small, I couldn’t help remembering all her compassionate care and kindness to our family over time. This made me realize that we truly have taken for granted the good will and decency of a terrific woman who has been our family’s pediatrician since Nick was born back in August of 1997. THANK YOU, DR. FREEMAN for your professionalism, humanity, and goodness! We are grateful for you!