I had to accompany my son to the infusion center after he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome and required 10 days of infusions, three times a day. First and foremost, I should state that the entire infusion department was very easy to work with when it came to scheduling visits to make things easier on my son.

Initially, this diagnosis threw everyone a curveball, but they came back on multiple mornings with more information and answers about what my son was going to experience. Overall, it provided much relief that they took the time to further educate themselves to ease our worries. What a great crew. The compassion and care shown were exemplary and greatly appreciated.

All deserve recognition, but to highlight one, I want to give special recognition to Dan Kramer.

I’ll be blunt… Dan saved my son’s life.

During a routine infusion, my son said that he was feeling some discomfort from a rapid heart rate, but then again, he was receiving 125 mg of steroids three times a day, so we chalked it up to the steroids increasing his heart rate and general side effects from this new and sudden treatment. Each time we went to the infusion center, he was assessed, but on this particular day, Dan said he “heard something” in his chest.

Dan asked if he had ever been diagnosed with a heart murmur before, to which he and I both answered no. Dan listened again and said, “Yep, you have a murmur, and a pretty decent one, and I don’t like the sounds of this, so let’s get it checked out.”

Let me say this… Dan sprang into action, and before we knew it, my son's doctor was contacted, tests were ordered, and we were on our way to get an echocardiogram.

Fast forward through a whirlwind of days, tests, and being admitted to UTMC Cardio for five days, and now on to The Cleveland Clinic for my son to be seen by a thoracic surgeon for a second opinion and, quite possibly, open-heart surgery. My son was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy, commonly referred to as “Sudden Cardiac Death Syndrome.”

Dan is a humble, intelligent, compassionate, and professional person, and had he not “heard something,” this life-threatening condition could have been overlooked, as it had never presented symptoms before we realized it.

My son is now on a medication plan of care and is scheduled for a visit and testing at The Cleveland Clinic for further evaluation and planning. Without Dan, he may have suffered a catastrophic event. Hopefully, this plan of care, combined with God’s grace and medical professionals like Dan, whose experience and persistence make life better and able to be lived, will carry him forward.

I conclude this nomination with a lump in my throat as I type, knowing that Dan Kramer opened the door for our son’s future to hopefully live a full life and continue the care he needs. If not for Dan, many things could have been far worse.

When I went back to thank Dan, his humility showed, and he said he was just “doing his job.”

Well, this kind, smart man saved a life that day and deserves to be recognized.