To the Fraser Health Patient Experience Team and Surrey Memorial Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department,
I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for the exceptional care my daughter received from Dr. Ben Wilson during our recent visit to the Surrey Memorial Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department. My daughter came to the ER after suffering an Achilles injury while playing soccer. As a young athlete, the injury itself was concerning for her, but being in the emergency department also caused her a great deal of anxiety.
From the moment Dr. Wilson met her, he made an immediate and noticeable difference. His manner was calm, kind, professional, and incredibly approachable. He took the time to speak directly with her, make her feel comfortable, and explain what he was doing and why. Within a very short time, I could see her anxiety begin to disappear.
As a parent, that meant a tremendous amount to me.
Dr. Wilson was extremely thorough in his assessment. He took the time to listen, examine her carefully, answer our questions, and explain the injury and next steps in a way that both my daughter and I could understand. I never felt rushed, and it was clear that he genuinely cared about my daughter as a person and not simply as another patient in a busy emergency department.
What stood out even more was that his care did not end when we left the emergency department. Dr. Wilson took the time to personally phone us with the results of her ultrasound. In a busy emergency department, the fact that he followed up with us himself and made sure we received the results was incredibly appreciated. It gave us reassurance and demonstrated a level of care and attention that went well beyond what we expected.
What stood out to me most was the combination of medical professionalism and genuine compassion and exceptional bedside manner. It takes a special kind of physician to make a young patient feel safe and heard while also providing such thorough care.
I have no doubt that she will remember the way Dr. Wilson treated her. For a young athlete who was already worried about her injury and what it might mean for soccer, having a physician who could ease those fears was incredibly meaningful.
I wanted to make sure that Dr. Wilson’s efforts did not go unrecognized. Emergency medicine is an incredibly demanding profession, and I believe people should take the time to acknowledge exceptional care when they experience it.
Thank you, Dr. Wilson, for going above and beyond for my daughter and for our family. Your professionalism, compassion, patience, thoroughness, and genuine care made what could have been a very frightening experience much easier for her.
With sincere appreciation,
Danny Dionne, Father
