Amanda

My team has been the family I’ve missed since 1999 when my mother passed. I love them like daughters; they mean everything to me. Like it or not, they’ve filled a void that wasn’t their choosing; the choice has been mine.

This afternoon, my family leader Dani called. I was in the middle of paying bills, reviewing charts, and being mildly annoyed by interruptions coming from the equipment guys doing the build-out for our business. Dani asked if I was sitting down. I was a little hesitant about what I was going to hear; Dani usually addresses me as “Van Buren” if I need to do stuff like re-cement a crown or make a call.

“Amanda’s boyfriend called; he found Amanda dead; they think it was an aneurysm.”

Our Dental Hygienist Amanda was maybe the sweetest human being I’ve ever met; I can’t even imagine her ever having an unkind thought or being anything but sincere. Amanda had been part of our team for only 2-months; as Dani and I interviewed Amanda for the Hygiene position, it didn’t take long for us to realize how lucky we were.

Amanda was healthy; she consistently exercised and was so proud of the strength and grace her mom had shown, recovering from a recent surgery. Amanda was only 28-years old.

We’re all so grateful for our having had the chance to meet and begin to know Amanda. Tomorrow, at our morning huddle, we’ll be missing the smile, the beautiful positive energy, and the authentic warmth that could make patients feel liked and safe on “Hello.”

It’s both a shame and a blessing that we were granted 2-months sharing some time with Amanda. Hopefully, we’ll all have the good sense to borrow some of the light Amanda could bring into a room.

Although our time spent with Amanda was far too brief, I guarantee we’ll never forget her.