Thanksgiving Hero

My husband, Dr. Gordon, is an osteopathic and family medicine physician who proudly works during all holidays, including Thanksgiving.  He is dedicated to his work as a physician, working to heal others and comfort them in their times of need. I have never met anyone who so deeply cares about their patients, going the extra step of reexamining a diagnosis, providing insight into specific treatment types, and takes the time to listen to their needs and concerns.  One of the most important days for him is Thanksgiving, where he sees and visits patients at hospitals who are not able to be home during the holiday.

The physicians that work alongside my husband during the holidays are, in a sense, his second family. They have all been working together for five or more years and have recently created a collective food drive at the hospital that is distributed to patients, their families, and those in need within the community. The food drive begins the first week of November with distribution of nonperishable food items on the day before Thanksgiving, and then it begins again for the Christmas holiday.  For my husband, no Thanksgiving work day is ever the same. 

His day is an ebb and flow of emotions, seeing those with a variety of illnesses as he brings comfort to them in every way he can and vice versa. His co-workers are all so generous as they bring in dishes to share throughout the day. He tells me that as he rushes by the staff room, he grabs a bite or two and continues on to his next appointment. He never sits still at work and loves every second of his job at the hospital. 

He arrives home after a long day's work between 6 and 7 p.m. In years past, he has arrived home as late as 9pm and goes in to work at 7 a.m.  Our family tradition is to wait for him to arrive before we begin enjoying our Thanksgiving meal together.  His work as a doctor is so much appreciated at work and at home.  Though he is very happy to be at home towards the day's end, I can see in his eyes the warmth and appreciation he carries for his hospital family.  His long day's work is rewarded at home with a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. His favorite Thanksgiving dish is my homemade stuffing with turkey sausage, rosemary, apples, and chestnuts. 

This year, La Brea Bakery is honoring people, just like my husband- those that serve and sacrifice meaningful days to help others.  Through the Thanksgiving Heroes page, the company will be accepting nominations for the Thanksgiving Hero in people's lives. On Thanksgiving Day, ten winners, selected from across the country, will be surprised and delighted with a Thanksgiving feast, courtesy of their family, friends and all of America who nominated.  Ten chosen nominees from around the country will be selected to receive a fully catered feast delivered to their place of work (as a surprise!) on Thanksgiving Day. They'll get to enjoy it with their family, friends and colleagues, and know that their loved ones think they are true Thanksgiving heroes.  Everyone who nominates gets a free loaf and the nominators of the ten winners will each receive a $500 gift card. 

Nominate your hero by Sunday, November 20th; It's a beautiful way to say Thank you!