A man standing among children

A man standing among children

EDITOR:

On July 5th, our grieving family lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather. A man of deep devotion for his family, his God, and our country, John Bleacher, MD, was larger than life with a gentleness beyond description. He served the Mahoning Valley for close to 40 years as its only pediatric surgeon.

He loved the countless babies and children that came into his life, and he was dedicated to saving them. He took great pride in serving a community that he loved and was fortunate to call home. He practiced medicine in an era when sound medical judgment and not politics dictated patient care. Doctors were respected for saving lives rather than made to deal with punitive decisions made by insurance companies.

I am so indebted to the medical community who tried to save him. The names of these wonderful people are too numerous to mention, but they know who they are. The Forum Health family will always have my gratitude. I hope the community will salvage their integrity and maintain their commitment to quality medical service.

It would be too painful if Forum Health should follow the same fate as Tod Children’s Hospital.

I hope my husband will always be remembered as the big man with the big hands and the gentle heart who dedicated his life to taking care of children.

NICOLETTE BLEACHER

Youngstown