Letter: From Grumpy to Grateful

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Last week a small miracle occurred.

When Covid hit, my 43 daughter Joselle, who happens to have Down Syndrome, came to live with us in Laguna Beach. She had knee surgery in March 2020 in Arizona and needed to rest, recover, and rehabilitate.

Last week she was in a physical therapy session at Mary Kate Saunders, and while I was waiting outside, Mary Kate ran out of the office and said, Joselle was fainting. Running inside, I saw the entire staff surrounding Joselle, who was pale, shaking, and barely knew where she was. The staff immediately gave her water and sat her down. Mary Kate asked if I wanted to take her to Caduceus Medical next door. “Yes! Joselle is already a patient there.” Mary Kate immediately ran to Caduceus.

Every parent knows the anxiety, and fear that comes from experiencing something potentially horrible happening to your child.  When that child has special needs it’s even more worrisome. I was terrified to say the least. 

What gave me pause was witnessing one of the therapists softly saying, “We are five mothers surrounding you, we are five mothers surrounding you,” as they gently held Joselle.

Before I knew it, Mary Kate came running back with a wheelchair with Dr. John Sangueldoce in tow, running with his stethoscope bouncing around his neck.

They both looked like superheroes swooping in to save the day. Dr. Sangueldoce bent down to Joselle’s level, felt her pulse, while the five mothers gently and safely placed her into the wheelchair with a blanket to keep her warm.

Dr. Sangueldoce then wheeled her over to his office, where his staff immediately began tests.

Within 20 minutes she was diagnosed with low blood sugar, had been given the sugar and salt that she needed to recover, and directions to keep her stable.

Five minutes later, Joselle was almost back to her old self, and the Caduceus office manager Janet helped wheel my daughter to our car. Dr. John Sangueldoce, Janet, and the entire staff at Mary Kate Saunders physical therapy were true angels that day.

It wasn’t until we got home that I broke down with tears of gratitude. What a roller coaster of emotions from terrified to overjoyed in just a few minutes.

I will always remember Mary Kate Saunders, and Dr. John Sangueldoce and their staffs for their heartfelt care and compassion. No doubt that this has been and incredibly tough 15 months for all of us, but for once the veil of my own grumpiness and pain lifted.

My grumpiness of seeing so much that is wrong with the world, was suddenly transformed by these everyday heroes who reminded me to look for the good that is present everywhere.

I’m more deeply grateful for our special little town and it’s incredible people with huge hearts of service.

Theresa Prelitz, Laguna Beach

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