Greg Stidham

Doctoring in Nicaragua Greg Stidham

This short collection of poems, written by a retired pediatric ICU physician, are inspired by his encounters with patients, both those who survived and those who did not. Other inspirations were sharing in the terror of the parents at the moments of crisis, and in the unimaginable pain if the fight was not successful. There are also several poems that reflect on the poet's reactions to his own health concerns. He practiced in this ICU environment for 32 years, followed by seven years in retirement as a volunteer bereavement counselor for Bereaved Families of Ontario, working primarily with parents who have lost a child. The poems transcend the specifics of the encounters and moments they describe, and they have a broader and more universal appeal.