b'24 CONCORD HOSPITAL TRUSTRert SaeTimelTRADITIONSTheres a lot of living to be done in 30Despite that initial news, a series ofIt was Noble, prior to beginning his years, and Robert Sawyer has madesteps taken by his providers changedtenure at Concord Hospital, who then the most of that time. Back in the earlySawyers outcome. Today, he is 76,referred Sawyer to a surgeon in Boston. 1990s, the longtime Laconia-areahealthy, and retired from 50 years ofThe procedure to fully remove the resident received medical interventionrunning his family business, Sawyersinfection cost Sawyer three ribs and that saved his life. Jewelry. He continues to thrive, Sawyerpart of his sternum, but it solved the At the time, Sawyer was experiencingsays, because of the thoughtful careproblem and returned him to pains and tightness in his chest. Thehe received when he was in his forties.full health.discomfort prompted him to call theHis memory of those pivotal events isIn addition to the doctors involved office of his primary care physician, Dr.why Sawyer recently recognized thein his treatment, Sawyer mentions Peter Walkley, at the Laconia Clinic. Onexcellence of Walkley and Concordeveryone from the receptionist who hearing his symptoms, the concernedHospital Infectious Disease Specialistpicked up the phone at the Laconia receptionist asked Sawyer to come inDr. James Noble with Grateful HeartClinic when he fi rst reported his right away. Diagnostic imaging testsAwards. The fi nancial contributionsymptoms all those years ago to subsequently ordered by Dr. Walkleyto the Concord Hospital Trust will goeveryone else who took an interest in showed a mass in Sawyers chest. toward resources to care for otherhis recovery. As he refl ects on that time patients in the future. in his life, Sawyer thinks about all the It was staphylococcus aureus, SawyerNow that I have the time, Im focusedthings I would not have done, all the says, noting that the bacterial infectionon living generously, says Sawyer, athings I would not have seen had care was dangerously close to his heart.Meredith resident. Im thinking aboutproviders not intervened. [Lakes Region General Hospitals] Dr.whats happened in my life and who Alan Awrich did the exploratory surgerymade a diff erence. It was Dr. NoblesThree decades removed from his and they were able to shrink it, butand Dr. Walkleys attention to detailhealth crisis, Sawyer felt it was time to could not eliminate it right away.that saved my life. I see how critical it isshare his resources and his gratitude. for people to have access to competentHis gift in the name of his caregivers medical care. This is what I can do tois both a thank you and also what he recognize these local heroes. hopes will be a source of inspiration for others to make similar gestures within It was good fortune that Walkley, whotheir own means.eventually became chief of staffatI hope that knowing somebody LRGH, connected with Noble duringis doing this, Sawyer says, might grand rounds in the early 1990s.encourage others to think about their At the time, Noble was working atlives and say thank you with a donation New England Medical Center. Afterto the Trust. describing his patients ongoing struggle with a staph infection, Walkley referred Sawyer to Noble.'