In the midst of these trials, our family doctor is who we had intended to have Brylie checked out by and to take to upon discharge. We have always used a pediatrician in the past, but had not come across a good one or one that anyone could recommend since our move. Despite our giving the family practitioner's name to several nurses on more than one occasion, our family doctor was not called while we were in the hospital...and with all that was going on, it never occurred to us to call the family practitioner's office. It was during this time in the hospital, that we were visited twice by the "on-call" pediatrician, Dr. Brice Copas. He was an extremely kind man, seemingly in his late 30's, who we felt instantly comfortable with and connected to. With no pressure whatsoever, he invited us to visit him for our follow up visit with Brylie, at his office, Skyline Pediatrics (which ironically was in the same plaza where we stayed here in Tucson during my interview). We did not make the decision to take Brylie to Dr. Brice until the day Natalie was discharged from the hospital, but went ahead and scheduled an appointment for the following week.
A few days later, after arriving at his office, we found ourselves filling out the typical informational paperwork...however, there was one section of "optional" information that we found unusual. It contained questions about our family like: "Are the mother and father married?" (or divorced...separated...etc...), "What is your family's religion?" and other intruiging personal questions about family life. We thought it was odd, but it did not bother us to answer such questions.
After the typical length, weight, and standard baby stuff that nurses take care of, the nurse left and it was then that we noticed a little 4-page pamphlet on the counter. We read through the pamphlet and felt blessed by what we read (see the 4-page pamphlet below).
Dr. Brice was in the room with us moments after we read through his pamphlet. He was again, the same kind, friendly, knowledgeable man we had met and talked to in the hospital. He examined Brylie, talked to us about Natalie and how she was recovering, and proceeded with the following..."I noticed that you marked that your family are Christians...I am a Christian too, and I always ask my Christian families this...can I pray for you and for your family?"
We agreed, as he laid his caring hands on our precious little one and proceeded to pray for Brylie, her life, her future, and our raising of her. He also prayed for Natalie's recovery and healing process, and thanked God for delivering her from this life-threatening incident. He prayed for Hallie and Kaden (whom he'd never met) and asked God's blessings over our family. It was one of the most genuine, loving moments I have ever experienced. I continue to thank God for that moment and for introducing us to Dr. Brice.
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