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With extreme gratitude is…read morewritten from two heartfelt parents to Dr Kesler (thoracic oncologic surgeon), Becky (his nurse), Dr Patel (CV surgeon) and the entire team at Heart & Vascular Hospital.
Our son is alive and well thanks to these superlative clinicians! To elaborate:
Mother's Day week in 2025 , our 21 year old son was diagnosed with a rare, one in 10 million large mediastinal germ cell tumor back in Oregon. His promising young life was abruptly turned upside down. In short order, he had 4 cycles of powerful inpatient chemotherapy and his Indiana trained, Portland based oncologist, Dr Moore set up a referral to Dr Kesler to remove his post chemotherapy residual chest mass.
Time was of the essence. From the word go, Dr Kesler's nurse Becky jumped on things: rapidly arranging the referral, facilitating the accurate transfer of medical info for Dr Kesler to view, and promptly setting up a pre op and surgical date within 1 month of his last chemotherapy. While Becky orchestrated our son's logistics, she made it paramount to connect on a human level with our son's mom, and alleviate her concerns and giving realistic hope.
Next, was the phone consult with Dr Kesler where he spoke with our son and both parents...yet focusing on our son directly. He told him of the seriousness of the surgery, the real operative risks, and potential outcomes. Our son (and us) left the conversation with the confidence that this committed surgeon who pioneered this surgery for this tumor was the exact guy for the job! We all felt hope and felt it was God ordained.
The preop visit in Indianapolis, engineered by Becky made his mom feel encouraged after hearing a very human, inspiring story she shared about one of her personal friends. Becky's friend was given six months to live, Dr. Kesler performed her surgery, and she is doing well 21 years later. Becky has been Dr. Kesler's nurse for 38 years.
That made all the difference to his mom a few days before a harrowing surgery.
The day of the surgery came and Dr Kesler and Dr Patel performed brilliantly with measurable success. The surgery only took 50% of the time anticipated, and the tumor was removed entirely without complications.
Postop he went to the ICU for 5 days, with Dr Kesler's conservative approach, for a young patient with this gravity of surgery paying off. The entire multidisciplinary team was stellar and compassionate--angelic nurses, OT, PT, RT, nutrition, Dr Kesler's surgical PAs, the intensivists, and numerous others (we failed to mention) delivering compassionate skilled care to him daily. Their memory bring us to tears while writing this!! Thank you all!
This is a story has an incredibly happy ending. Our wonderful son is now healing well 3 weeks post op, and the surgical margins came back clear with the most favorable histologic tissue diagnosis possible!
He now can travel back to Oregon and resume his life. To attend law school. Have a wife one day. A family. A life filled with hope.
So, Community Health Network please give a clinical medal of honor to Dr Kesler, Becky and Dr Patel, post haste.
Master clinicians, humble and skilled who saved our son's life.
To all the team at Heart & Vascular, he and his future family will never forget you