Speech of Gratitude to Trauma Team

Good afternoon,

Today I stand before you with a heart that is overflowing with gratitude, faith, and deep appreciation for the remarkable surgeons here at the University of Chicago Hospital, and for surgeons across the world who dedicate their lives to saving others.

When my grandson was brought through these doors, our family was living through one of the most frightening moments of our lives. He had suffered fifteen gunshot wounds and required six life-saving surgeries. In those moments, our family was faced with fear, uncertainty, and the painful reality that his life hung in the balance.

But even in the midst of that fear, we held onto our faith and trusted that God would place the right people exactly where they needed to be in order to save his life.

And He did.

God placed my grandson in the hands of an extraordinary group of surgeons whose skill, knowledge, and dedication gave him another chance at life. Each surgery required precision, courage, and hours of focus that most people will never truly understand. While families like mine could only wait, pray, and hope, you were in the operating room doing the work that saves lives.

As a woman of faith, I believe with my whole heart that God guides the hands of those who dedicate their lives to healing others. During those critical moments when our family could do nothing but pray, you were the instruments through which those prayers were answered.

Today, because of your remarkable work, my grandson is alive. He is in his right state of mind, healing tremendously well, and preparing to transition to a rehabilitation center where he will continue the next chapter of his recovery. What once felt like an unimaginable tragedy has now become a testimony of survival, resilience, and grace.

But today I also want to recognize something even greater.

The surgeons standing here today represent something much larger than one hospital. You represent surgeons all across the world who wake up every day prepared to face the unimaginable—long hours, difficult decisions, and the responsibility of holding someone’s life in your hands.

All around the world, families sit in waiting rooms praying and hoping while surgeons fight to save the people we love most.

You are not only medical professionals—you are lifesavers, healers, and instruments of hope.

As a grandmother, there is nothing more precious than the life of your grandchild. When a grandchild is fighting for their life, a grandmother’s heart turns to prayer in ways words cannot fully describe.

And today I stand here not in sorrow, but in gratitude.

You did not just perform surgeries. You preserved a life. You restored hope to a family. And you allowed a young man to continue the journey that God has planned for him.

My family and I will forever be grateful for the hands that operated, the minds that made life-saving decisions, and the hearts that refused to give up.

And if I may share one truth that every grandmother understands:

When a grandmother prays for her grandchild, she believes with her whole heart that God will send help. In our moment of need, God sent surgeons.

To the surgeons here today, and to surgeons all across the world who dedicate their lives to saving others—thank you for the work you do, the lives you protect, and the hope you restore to families every single day.

May God continue to guide your hands, strengthen your hearts, and bless the incredible work you do.

From the depths of my heart, and on behalf of my entire family, thank you for saving my grandson’s life.

We will never forget what you have done.

Thank you.