TOM HOLODAK: Albany thanked for care, prayers after wife’s injury

This letter is a big thank-you to the entire city of Albany including the Albany police, state police, Hampton Inn, the doctors and nurses at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital and the entire Deerfield-Windsor school community. On May 1, my family was attending the GISA State Track and Field Championships in Albany being held at Hugh Mills Stadium. I’m the athletic director and track coach at Augusta Prep and my youngest daughter was competing in the meet. After competition of events on May 1, my wife decided to go on a quick run before joining our team for dinner. Unfortunately she was hit by a car while running and was rushed to the hospital as a “Jane Doe.”

My entire family is forever grateful for the outpour of love and prayers given to us during our time of need. Being in a foreign city during a crisis situation can be very stressful, but I was comforted by everyone I came in touch with over the next five days of our stay at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. From Dr. Buck Davis, Dr. Kimberly Brown, Amanda and Tiffany (nurses in the SICU unit) to Cpl. McKenzie from Post 40 and Coach Cathy Jones from Deerfield; the care rendered was a A-plus.

With the headlines on our daily newspapers normally showing the bad of our society, I thought it was very important for the entire city of Albany to be proud of their community and how on May 1 a family from Augusta was given great medical care, kind words, thoughtful hugs and unconditional prayers of love for my wife and our family.

Please continue to keep her in your prayers as we continue on the road to a full recovery. The city of Albany will forever have a special place in my heart.

TOM HOLODAK

Augusta

EDITOR’S NOTE: Tom Holodak is director of athletics at Augusta Preparatory Day School in Martinez.