St. Francis-Emory Trustee Michael Porter Thanks CT Tech John Greene

Earlier this year, St. Francis-Emory Healthcare Board of Trustees member Michael Porter was diagnosed with significant gallstones and a severe case of pancreatitis. During his multiple week stay at St. Francis-Emory Healthcare, CT Tech John Greene was a soothing voice and presence throughout his inpatient experience.

These are excerpts from Porter's letter of thanks:

Dear John,

You and I met for the first time in late March of this year. I came to the St. Francis ER with severe abdominal pain and was eventually sent back for a CT scan. After I was released to go home, I remember my girlfriend Aimee and I discussing how pleasant you were, specifically. You had such a calming and compassionate presence about you.

Fast forward to May, I came back to the ER and discovered that I was passing gallstones and received the direction to have surgery performed to remove my gallbladder. During this process, I had an awful bout of acute pancreatitis set in. I was admitted into St. Francis and was not discharged until two weeks later. During that time, I met many nurses and physicians that took great care of me. This being the first instance in my life being admitted into the hospital for this length of time with this type of diagnosis, you can imagine my nerves, courage and faith were shaken. But even in those moments, God always has a plan.

While I had several CT scans performed during my stay, and I ran into you on a few of them, I distinctly remember the one early in the morning. This scan was being performed to determine if I could have surgery or not based on the severity of the pancreatitis. That morning, I was woken up and things began to happen rather quickly. I was wheeled out of my room and had to leave my best friend, who had been by my side the entire time. I mention that because when you have someone close to you, it is easy to lean on their strength and faith in trying times. However, when you’re alone, it is easy to get discouraged; and that is what happened to me.

A lot of thoughts ran through my mind during my trip being wheeled from PCS to Imaging:

“Am I going to be, OK?”
“Will surgery go according to plan?”
“Why am I going through this?”

It's easy to lean on your faith when everything is going “according to plan” and another thing when it isn’t. As I’m rounding a corner and headed down the final hallway to get my CT scan, fear is creeping in to steal my peace in that moment. I’m very thankful for the God that I serve because He always knows what I have need of. It was in that moment that I heard a very familiar and calming voice. The voice of John Greene. I’m immediately flooded with a sense of peace and assurance that everything is going to be OK.

The way you took care of me, in the moments we were able to interact, is the epitome of who St. Francis-Emory Healthcare strives to be to all their patients every day. More importantly than that, the way you treated me was the foundation of who we are as believers: From your request to add me to your church’s prayer list, to praying over me before I left my CT scan at my request and finally, encouraging me that I was in God’s hands and there was no reason to worry. 

John, you will never know the blessing you were to me during my stay at St. Francis. It was an absolute honor meeting you. Please continue doing great work in your small corner of the hospital; you never know the impact you are having on the patients that you meet.