Great People Herders I have known

Hi,
I was putting together all the pictures I have of my children to put on a disk for them for Christmas. I am starting early. I have a lot of pictures : ) I ran across two people that changed our families life. Without them I do not know where we would all be now.
Both were Doctors. One a pediatric cardiologist and the other a pediatrician. One old, one young. Both completely dedicated to their profession. A "calling" we used to say.
My youngest son was born with a heart defect. There were no ultra-sounds back then. No signs, no warnings until the birth. The young Doctor heard the problem. A murmur. Medicine is prescribed. Worried we go home with our baby. The young Doctor sets up an appointment with the old Doctor. An appointment is set and kept and another is set. There is a problem to be looked further into. A crisis, the baby is breathing funny. His tiny chest heaving with each breath. Something is wrong. To the young doctor we go. The baby is in heart failure. The young Doctor isn't sure why. The appointment with the old Doctor is moved up. A five hour drive in the U.P. of Michigan. The baby cries most of the way. Everyone is exhausted. The other two children are almost crying too. They know something is wrong, but not what. The baby is put in hospital right away. A nice hospital with nice nurses. It is July 3rd. The examination will take place on July 5Th. Everyone says go and rest. We will be staying by my Mothers just a few miles away. Rest, yes that is what is needed.
For us all. Waking the next morning, I can not, not go to the hospital. I am compelled, I am exhausted and running on empty and I must go to the hospital. Now. My husband and I go. The baby is crying softly in his crib. He is a long ways from the nurses' station. I pick him up and hold him and still he cries. Then he is silent. No sound. No breath. Silent, like death. I scream, and start running with my dying baby. Years later, I think what if I would not have gone up to the hospital when I did. I know the answer, I would have went no matter what. My husband wants to know what is wrong, he can't see that the baby is not breathing. I am screaming and running to the nurses. They grasp the situation quickly, The baby is taken from me and I collapse. The old Doctor is called, he is on his tractor enjoying the day. It is a beautiful 4th of July. He comes as fast as he can. Tractor left in the field. My baby died three times that day and each time the old Doctor and his staff revived him. His assistant was found by the state police and brought to the hospital in a State Patrol Car. They did the test that they were going to do tomorrow, now. An artery in the heart is blocked they tell. Be prepared for the worst. My husband calls the young doctor. He says we will air-evac him to wherever the old Doctor thinks is the best place for him. Rochester, Mn. St Mary's Pediatric. Best Doctors for this kind of problem. Back in the early 70's this was a BIG deal. Heart surgery. The baby is only slightly stabilized. The next day the old Doctor and I go by ambulance to the airfield. We are being flown to Rochester, Mn. I hold the baby and he is quiet and breathing heavy. The old Doctor and I look at each other and I don't know who is more scared. There is nothing in the ambulance to revive him, should he take a turn for the worst. He doesn't and off we go to Rochester, Mn. The surgery and recovery are uneventful.
The baby was born with a narrowed aortic valve. It took minutes to repair, but without it he would have died by this time. The old Doctor is very happy. The young Doctor has one more miracle to perform. Get me and the baby back to the base, without having to take the bus. He tells the Top Brass that the baby would not do well at all on the bus, so they send a med-evac plane to pick me (they were not going to ) and the baby up and take us home.
Dr Ziegler was the old Doctor. He has since passed away, but we were in touch for years. A true people herder. A person who cares about the herd. A Shepard.
The young Doctor, Dr Lehocky went into his own crisis when his young wife died unexpectedly. He survived and went on to become a wonderful people herder. He herds the lambs whose lives are disrupted by illness. It is his "calling" and his herd is grateful. A Shepard.

The not so great people herder.