A heartfelt thank you …

Dear Clarendon County Citizens,
As many of you know, I spent most of this summer hospitalized and flat on my back. It was quite agonizing at times because I am used to being active and in control of my life. I have been a respiratory therapist since I was 18 years old and never imagined myself on the “other side” of a ventilator. So many of you reached out to me and I’m convinced that’s what helped pull me through a difficult medical experience. Not everyone is lucky enough to survive what my surgeon termed “an abdominal catastrophe.”

I received such tremendous encouragement from so many of you that I felt I needed to send out a countywide “thank you.” I grew up in a small town like Manning, but now I consider this my new hometown.

When people are sick, you think to yourself, “I want to do something, but I don’t want to be a bother.” Let me try to name some of the things that ya’ll did that meant so much to me and gave me a reason to hang on.

Over 155 get-well cards were taped to all the walls in my room. I had people who sent flowers, painted my toe nails, shaved my legs, washed and cut my hair, brought me gifts, or just simply sat by my side. When it was not a good time to visit, people signed their name on my door to let me know they had stopped by.

When I came home I had signs greeting me on the way to my house and numerous home cooked meals that were brought to me. I even had Cathy Gilbert (The Manning Times) who wanted to visit and wrote such a wonderful article about my experience.

Don’t ever think you’re a bother letting the sick know you care and are thinking of them and have them in your prayers. It is more than enough. The rest of the things are bonuses.

I had a nurse that made me cry, but not for the reasons you may think. She walked in my room shortly before my release and said, “I want to be more like you, so when I’m sick I’ll have friends like you have.”

So my heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you who showed you cared and took the time to pray for me. I am so lucky to live in such a wonderful county!

Oh! By the way, if you are over 50 and haven’t had a colonoscopy, schedule one today!

Thank you,
Yana K. Mathis
Manning, S.C.