Former patient reconnects with Dr. Alireza Behboudi to thank the physician whose care left a lasting impression
As Claire Kesler prepared to graduate from high school and begin the next chapter of her life, there was one person she knew she wanted to thank. Someone she had seen consistently through her elementary years due to a series of unfortunate breaks. So, Kesler penned a handwritten note to Dr. Alireza Behboudi, the orthopedic surgeon who had cared for her through four broken bones during her childhood.
“Dr. Behboudi, I know you will not remember me, but I definitely remember you. I have broken my arm 4 times in my life and you have treated all of them. Thank you for being such an amazing doctor!” Kesler’s letter read.
Now 18, Kesler first met Dr. Behboudi after falling from playground equipment during second grade. A year later, she was back in his office after another injury.
“I was balancing on something I wasn’t supposed to be on, and my dad told me to get down, but I didn’t listen,” Kesler said with a laugh.
Her third fracture came during another playground mishap.
“I was pretending I was an ambulance, and my friend was the patient. I was giving her a piggyback ride when I fell and broke my arm,” Kesler recalled. “I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, not again!’”
While repeated injuries could make some children dread doctors, Kesler said the opposite happened. Each experience with Dr. Behboudi and his staff made her feel more comfortable and less anxious.
“I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like going to the doctor,” she said. “It always made me nervous, especially when I was younger. But by the third time, I knew I was going to see Dr. Behboudi and his staff again, and it wasn’t a big deal.”
Even when she returned the following year with a broken thumb, the familiarity of the team helped ease her fears.
“He was very good at explaining what he was going to do and what was going to happen,” Kesler said. “As a kid, that made everything a lot less scary and intimidating. Dr. Behboudi and his staff were always kind, accommodating and reassuring.”
For Dr. Behboudi, receiving Kesler’s note was both unexpected and meaningful.
“As physicians, we often don’t realize the lasting impact we can have on our patients, especially children,” Dr. Behboudi said. “It meant a great deal to hear from Claire after all these years. Knowing that she’s healthy and thriving is incredibly rewarding. Notes like hers are a reminder of why we do what we do.”
The positive experiences she had as a patient left a lasting impression. In fact, Kesler credits much of the time she spent around healthcare professionals during her childhood with inspiring her future career path.
This fall, she will begin studying cardiac sonography at Tyler Junior College, pursuing a career dedicated to helping others – just as the caregivers who helped her did throughout her childhood.