Thankful for Falls hospital

To the editor,
I am writing to let the people of International Falls know how proud they should be of their hospital. They saved my friend’s life.
A group of us visited Lake Kabetogama a couple of weeks ago for a vacation. One of the ladies had been experiencing medical issues for months, which the “great” hospitals and doctors at home were passing off as normal pain. “Keep taking your pain pills and it will go away,” was the prescription. Well, things didn’t get better, only worse. So we took her to your local hospital. With a fresh set of eyes and a dedication to patient care we seem to be missing at home, they determined that she was in desperate need for medical care. Although the surgery had to be done in Duluth, we feel that the medical staff at Falls Memorial took the time to identify the problem and start a course of action to get my friend on the road back to living again. Obviously, all the staff and surgeons at St. Mary’s in Duluth deserve our sincerest thanks for a job well done, but the care received at Falls Memorial provided the ground work for a recovery we don’t think we would have gotten at home.
It’s odd to think that because of her problems, she debated about going on the trip. We feel that if she hadn’t gone on the trip, we would not have her around today. It took a 980 mile trip to Minnesota to give her the chance to continue living. Don’t judge a hospital by its size, judge it by its people.
Thanks again to the great people of Minnesota.
Larry Weaver
Hamilton, Ohio