My Dad received a very, VERY special visitor on Saturday morning. Ute football head coach Kyle Whittingham's daughter Kylie is a close friend and soccer teammate of my cousin Lindsey and when my Aunt Julie told him about Dad's situation and what a loyal and dedicated Ute fan my dad has been over the years, Coach Whit took time out of his busy recruiting schedule to come by University Hospital on Saturday morning and visit with my Dad and talk Ute football with him. Dad's been a mid-level Crimson Club member forever but never in a million years would have thought he'd warrant a personal visit from the Coach. For me, it would be like having Bono come and visit me in the hospital :) A special thanks to Julie, Ron and Lindsey Osborn for loving my dad enough to find a way to make this happen, and a heartfelt thanks to Coach Kyle Whittingham for being so much more than just a great football coach, but an even better human being and friend.
I know it may sound cheesy to some of you, but the University of Utah is truly an important part of my dad and my entire family's lives. Dad graduated from the U's business school and enjoyed every minute of his time spent on campus and as a member of the Beta Theta Phi fraternity. My brothers and I grew up going to countless Ute football and basketball games with my Dad in our family's red VW bug. All of his kids attended the U and we all continue to attend as many games as we can with our own kids. I've worked here off an on over the years and when it became necessary to go back to work full time it was the only place for me. My co-workers have enjoyed having my dad drop in to visit me at my office on campus while he was on his way to or from one of the many doctor or clinical trial visits he's had over the past two years.
So when our family had to make the decision of where to have Dad have his lung transplant - UCLA who does 80-90 transplants a year, or the U's much smaller program that only did nine transplants last year - it wasn't even a question for us. We felt so lucky that the U was even able to get my dad on the list and that he wouldn't have to go through this and recover for months afterward so far away from home. The U's lung transplant team normally only accepts patients under 65 years old. They made the exception based on his amazingly good health and discipline and the support network they knew he had to help with his care after the transplant.
We are so incredibly grateful and impressed with the doctors, nurses and staff of University Hospital - and yes, even our head football coach! They are truly top notch and are so invested in all of their patients, not just my dad. Even little things like the free valet parking service the hospital provides, which seems like such a trivial thing, but to family members who are making daily trips to the hospital - often times stressed and in a hurry to get to their loved ones, it becomes anything but trivial.
I've worked in development (fundraising) in Salt Lake for over 15 years and I'm very familiar with and have even visited personally with many of the donors whose names are posted all around the hospital and on plaques next to many of the rooms my dad has stayed in over the past four weeks. I know how much these families have contributed to countless nonprofit organizations in our community, but I've never been more grateful to them than I am now. We are so blessed to have a research University with a hospital of this caliber so close to us and to have so many philanthropic families who have made it all possible. I've been a die-hard Ute fan all my life, but I've never been more proud to be one than I am now, and I know my parents and brothers feel the same way. Go Dad! Go Utes!
very cool! I am not a U grad, but am a fan now:) way to go Utes and Coach Whit!
ReplyDeleteI'm the most die-hard BYU fan you'll ever know, but this is incredible! I so respect Kyle Whittingham. :) Wishing the best for you and your dad.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to be there when Coach Whit visited Dad last Saturday morning. I walked into his room and said to him "Dad, you have a special visitor coming to see you this morning!" He looked at me and said "Is it Jake, Josh or Chase?" (My 3 sons, any of whom would be considered a "special" visitor to a Grandpa like my Dad) I said "Nope... Coach Whittingham will be here soon to visit you!" He had this blank stare on his face, and finally uttered the words "You're kidding?”
ReplyDeleteThe Nurse's were all so excited for him, and quickly re-arranged their rounds to allow for un-interrupted time for the visit.
Once Dad was settled in bed, he laid there with his eyes closed, and said to me "Carter, help me think of things I can say to the Coach when he gets here." He & I talked for a while about some ideas & topics.
By the way... These are precious memories I'll never forget.
A short time later, Coach Whit arrived. His focus was ENTIRELY on my Dad's condition. He sat right next to his bed and asked numerous questions about the transplant, the difficult recovery, the disease that caused this, and applauded my Dad for the 17 full marathon's he's ran. He offered some coaching on how to deal with difficult challenges. He then spent time talking to the two of us about my Mom & Dad's beautiful Grandchildren. I told him how I hope to send my boys Jake, Josh & Chase, along with my new nephew Tanner, to one day play for him at the U. He said "Get them ready & send em' up." At that point he indulged us and talked Utes Football with us. We talked about recruiting, the new football facility being built, and the overall state of the program. Let me tell you... THAT was fun. To talk football with one of, if not THE BEST college football coaches in the land. My Dad then said something that I know he'd been thinking about prior to the Coach arriving. He said "Coach, we love the all the great wins, the growing prestige of the program, and the 4 & 5 star recruits. But what we love more than that is the character of our 5 star Coach." Coach Whit said with a lump in his throat "Thank you. I can't tell you how much it means to me to hear that."
He then gave my Dad a new Under Amour Utes hat, took a picture, shook his hand & left to an important luncheon where he & his staff were hosting a bunch of recruits & their parents.
I want to personally thank Coach Whit for taking the time to visit my Dad. He didn't do it for recognition, or good press. He did it because he's a great humanitarian & wanted to help where he could. What a stud.