A special ‘thank you’ for a special doctor

For people living with serious illness, the doctor-patient relationship takes on new meaning as they work together to identify treatments and manage symptoms. This is especially true for people such as Lyman Christopher, who lives with stage 4 cancer.

Lyman has been a patient of Dr. Andrew Hampshire, a hematologist/oncologist with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, for nearly six years.

"It's been a great relationship," Lyman says. "I've been coming to see him once every two or three weeks. He's very knowledgeable of what he's treating. He also has a great sense of humor. He's a great doctor."

Dr. Hampshire is similarly complimentary of his patient. "Lyman's always so gracious about the care he receives from Sharp and Sharp-Rees Steely," says Dr. Hampshire. "Never — even in some complicated medical situations — does he have anything really negative to say, and he is always very appreciative. It's just a pleasure to be his doctor."

After a decade of Guardian Angel gifts to Sharp Rees-Stealy, Lyman decided to make a significant gift in honor of Dr. Hampshire and his caregivers, by naming the Staff Lounge at the Kevin H. Cook Infusion Center.

The staff lounge at the Kevin H. Cook Infusion Center is dedicated to the oncology care team at Sharp.

Dr. Hampshire was honored and humbled by the recognition. "It's amazing that Lyman's been that generous because he is so easy to take care of," Dr. Hampshire says. "He always comes in on the same day. He always tries to get the same treatment slot, and I look forward to those because I know that even if there are difficult scans to go over or decisions to make, that we will at least start with things that are fun."

It's obvious to his patients that Dr. Hampshire enjoys talking with them and taking care of them, being a part of both their good moments and an important part of their more difficult ones. "It is the patients themselves that drive everything about why I come to work every day," he says.

That kind of care makes a difference in the lives of patients like Lyman, who says he looks forward to his visits with Dr. Hampshire.

"I was told when I first started that I would have probably five or six years to live with the cancer," Lyman says. "In two months it will be six years, and I seem to be doing pretty good. A lot of that is due to the treatment of Dr. Hampshire, because he's the doctor I've been with from the start."

Your support matters now more than ever. In these times of health care crisis, your team of medical professionals at Sharp is working to offer the care and support you need. In recognition of Doctors' Day, consider honoring an outstanding caregiver in your or a loved one's life through the Guardian Angel program. As a not-for-profit organization, donations are vital to our investment in advanced medical technology, facilities and programs for those we serve. Learn more about the Guardian Angel program.