Dear Dr. Frascino

Your own words

How do I cope in responding to them? With honesty, compassion, understanding and love. And yes, sometimes with hugs and tears. Do I distance myself? No. In fact just the opposite. I want them to know they are not alone.

My words to you

My god you are a real Doctor, you are the best ever, you know I am a Doctor my self I treat kids with leukemias and lymphomas in other words I am Pediatric Hemato- Oncolgists. All my fellow collegues tell me that I am crazy because when one of my kids goes away part of my soul goes with then, I play with my kids, their parents, I can really feal them I care for them and make their problems my responsability and I think thats the way a Doctor should be, Not only a treater but a person to trust to love and to have in the moment their is the need to cry

My best luck for you Frascino my heart goes out to you, you can be sure that out here in world you are loved and loved more then you can imagine

I love you and always will

please stay safe, stay well and happy, when ever you want to cry look up in sky look at the stars and say out Help, the stars at that moment will al shine for you

Moises Aristisabal El Pais Vasco, Spain

Hello Moises,

Thank you for your kind words! Prior to becoming an immunologist and HIV/AIDS specialist, I was a board certified pediatrician. If I had stayed in pediatrics, I too would have become a pediatric oncologist. It was the subspecialty I felt the most affinity for during my residency. On morning rounds, while I was a pediatric resident, I would always have a kid on my shoulder. The nurses continually said I was more like one of the pediatric patients than a doctor. They liked that! So did I.

Your patients, Moises, are indeed lucky to have you as their physician and friend.

It's a starry, starry night tonight for us all.

Be well. Hug a kid or two for me, OK?

Dr. Bob