August 26, 2007
Sunday Night Bill Frist
I was talking tonight with an acquaintance about his deceased wife who until today I didn't even know he had. She died before we met, he was remarried, and he had never mentioned her before.
She was born with a hole in her heart at a time that the general prognosis was death. Despite this, she lived for some time. Eventually, though, her health deteriorated.
The man took his wife to several hospitals in several states for what would become a double lung and heart transplant. All of them wanted the cash up front, over $150k. They couldn't afford it.
Eventually they found a hospital and a surgeon in Tennessee who would do the complicated heart and lung surgery and who would accommodate their financial situation. The surgery went well, and the woman lived several years past the initial prognosis.
"The doctor's name was William Frist," the man said to me, "I think he later ran for Senate or something."
The next time someone complains about how every one in government is bad, corrupt, or worse, remember this story.
