The Compassionate, Caring Dr. K
Wednesday - September 06, 2006
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Del.icio.usDear Pamela,
My wife’s cat of 19 years recently passed away from kidney failure. This was one of the most traumatic events to occur in our 13-year marriage, especially coming on the heels of my being diagnosed with cancer two days prior to the death of “her little boy.” Dr. Clifford Kumamoto, who has been our vet for the past six years, had been treating our cat ,“Monkey,” for a bladder/kidney infection for over a month.
Dr “K,” as he is affectionately known, believes in minimizing costs to encourage people to get regular care for their pets. During the last two weeks of his life we had to bring Monkey in to the clinic on a daily basis, and on four or five occasions twice daily for fluids or medication.
Unfortunately, Monkey passed away at home with us. We arranged with Cathy, Dr. K’s office manager and an angel in her own right, to have the cat’s remains cremated. One week later we received a beautiful box in a velveteen bag and a short condolence note along with our closing statement. The final billing was only for the the cremation.
Much to our surprise there were no charges for the office visits, medication or IVs. This wonderful man practices his profession six days a week and works his tail off. He’s never been too busy to see our animals on short notice or a walk-in visit. He does his job with joy, compassion and a great dry sense of humor. He always says, “It’s all about the animals.” We wish more vets were like our beloved Dr. K instead of worrying about their “bottom line.” He is a true humanitarian and represents the best of the best in his field.
Chris Bogust
Hawaii Kai
Dear Chris,
Dr. Clifford Kumamoto of Animal Clinic Inc. says he tries to be comforting, but the fact remains that most pets will live 12 to 15 years. “They’re like our children and we feel terrible when they get really sick. It’s natural for a veterinarian to feel compassion in these situations.”
Hi Pamela:
Several months ago I lost my Hawaiian ring that I thought I would never see again. Garrick (I believe that is his name) from Hawaii Business Equipment comes to my workplace to service equipment. Garrick was looking for any “Liannes” who work in the building. He had found my ring in the parking lot. Unfortunately I was at lunch when he dropped it off, and I wasn’t able to personally thank him for his honesty, persistence in finding the owner, and for just being a good Samaritan. Coincidentally, the name on the ring is the same name as his wife’s (even down to the same spelling!), so more so there was a reason not to return it. A big mahalo, Garrick!
Lianne Bryant Ohana West Hotel
Dear Lianne,
Garred Koki, a field technician with Hawaii Business Equipment, says it was strange how everything unfolded. “I was having a bad day and asked God to give me a sign that it would get better,” he says. “Then I opened the car door and there was the ring on the ground. At first I thought it was my wife’s ring that had just fallen out of the car. I called her, and she said she didn’t have a Hawaiian ring. So I took it to the hotel and they knew exactly who it belonged to. It was a sign, all right. The rest of the day turned out fine.”
(If you know someone who deserves some Applause, send your letters to Pamela Young, MidWeek Applause, KITV, 801 S. King St., Honolulu, HI, 96813 or e-mail pyoung@kitv.com. Include your name, phone number and, if possible, the phone number of your “applaudee” so we can contact him or her.)
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