Stories from friends and neighbors
Dr.Walsh: We are delighted to have an outlet to express our deepest gratitude and thanks for your care over the years.
With love and support,
Your Neighborhood
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Dear Tom: It was ever so helpful, enlightening, helpful, and enjoyable to listen to you and your vast knowledge base at our very recent High School reunion. I am reading your web-site, and enjoying learning from it . Great to see you, and thanks for all you do and have done. If I have need to reach out for consultation(s) some day, please bear with me . ( Ha-ha-ha ).. Thanks so much for sharing.Best and God Bless,Karen L. Fischer-Perkins , MS, NCSP, LPC
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Dear Dr. Walsh: The length that you have gone out of your way to help my family over the years is beyond words. From bumps and bruises to true emergencies, from a fishing trip gone wrong (fish hook incident) to health issues I will spare online detail, you never cease to come to the rescue, provide sound advice and an immediate course of action, even speaking with my own physicians at times.
I admire your consistent follow-up, constant commitment to further research and use of the word “we” when discussing treatments. A bout of poor health is a lonely and scary time and you go above and beyond to assure your patient they are not in it alone.
Thank you also for inspiring me to enter the field of public health. I am forever grateful for your motivating chats and help with programs, curriculum planning and direction.
-Respectfully, Katie Miller
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Tom has helped my family countless times over the years. He has checked ears, examined throats, and prescribed medication, offered thorough explanations and sound advice. More times than not it is the peace of mind that he provided that helped the most.
Most memorable for the McGill Family is a 10:00 pm visit after a long day at work to check on Peter and what we were told was Lyme disease. Tom took one look at Peter confirmed the Lyme diagnosis but voiced concern over the apparent spread of the disease and the antibiotic Peter had been prescribed. He recommended changing to a new antibiotic, gave us a thorough explanation why and how it should be taken. He even offered to go to the drug store himself to fill the prescription because he thought it was imperative Peter start the new antibiotic right away and he wasn’t sure if I’d want to leave the kids home alone that late at night. We did not take him up on that offer but did get the new antibiotic. Tom called several times the next morning to check on Peter and whether the new antibiotic had arrested further spread of the Lyme’s rashes and facial palsy. He was in regular contact with us for the next three weeks as the symptoms subsided. He answered every question I had very frankly and in terms I could understand. Of course, I was extremely worried about Peter and Tom was a very calming influence during initial diagnosis and my panic over the spread of infection. Without Tom I am certain Peter would have suffered longer and far more than he did. Whenever I express my gratitude, he always very humbly replies, “that is what neighbors are for.” Believe me Tom and Sherril are both wonderful neighbors and I feel privileged to be living in their neck of the woods.-Jodi McGill
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Dr. Thomas Walsh is an extraordinary friend and neighbor. He is serious, yet calming and assuring in all situations. Throughout the years he has assisted my family with his medical expertise from cleaning out wounds, washing out an infected eye, to offering guidelines for a twisted ankle or stomach virus.
As a nursery school teacher, health issues arise on a regular basis. For example, when a student contracted MSRA, Tom patiently guided me through the precautions to prevent the spread of infection. As a result of his expertise, we were able to relay accurate information to our school community, and clean the school with appropriate guidelines, keeping the parents informed and calm throughout.No words can truly express how grateful I am to Tom.
With heartfelt thanks, Ellen Miller
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Tom: I am not very good at this kind of thing, but I want to give you biggest compliment I can think of. You have done for this area what my father, Col Huber, did years ago. You show what he would say are the best parts of being a Doctor.
-Ty
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The 6000 block of Roosevelt Street has since 1953 had a resident MD. While they did not have office hours or appointments, in an emergency if they were home they’d come help. Tom has been carrying on the tradition for several years now.
I know I’m always grateful to have your opinion and help when I’ve been sick. You have helped to keep Katie and Ty reassured when I have been sick and have taken time away from your family to come by the hospital to check on me. Any visit from you is a high point of the day.
With deepest affection and regard.
-Marian Huber
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Tom Walsh has gone beyond being just a neighbor for my family for the last three years. My mother had a knee replacement five years ago. It was three years ago that the knee replacement got infected. As soon as Tom and his wife Sherril heard that mom was in the ICU after having an infection, Tom asked if it would be alright if he went and took a look. Dad gave his permission and Tom was able to take information overload and simplify it so that we could understand it. He then did the same thing the next year when my father ended up in the hospital over his own infection and then the year after that with the second infection mom’s knee got. In all of he has made these last three years of worry better.
-Katie Huber
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We have been fortunate to have Tom and his family as neighbors for many years. We watched his lovely daughters grow up. Any favor or help we have needed from him or from Sherril the answer was always, “of course, and is there anything else we can do..”
Just recently, my grandson had an incident with a too friendly dog; Tom calmed us down, told us what to do and accompanied us to the hospital; he played with our grandson and waited for the emergency doctor to treat him. He gave us hours of his precious time. This is just the person he is. We are blessed to have him as a neighbor and friend.
-Ruth and Francois Assal
Paul J. Weldon, Ph.D.
I have known Tom Walsh since we were cohorts in high school in Connecticut. We have carved separate paths in science — Tom as a clinical and research physician and me as a comparative vertebrate biologist — but I have followed his career closely and look to him as a shining role model for his vast accumulated experience and stalwart professionalism. It was clear to everyone in high school that Tom was meant for greatness. He enrolled in advanced mathematics courses and sought research opportunities at an early age, honing his skills at the bench. What I admire most about Tom is that he never erected a “picket fence” around his intellectual domain; there are no boundaries to what he considers interesting and worth exploring. It is precisely because of this philosophy that I have shared with Tom precious samples from some exotic species for screening in his laboratory. Tom Walsh is a gentleman scholar, careful to explain his research to anyone interested in learning about it and willing to open doors for those fortunate enough to fall within his professional orbit. As I read the testimonials from those who have much better reason to extol his work — where he saved lives — I am awed by what he has done and proud to consider him a close friend.
Paul J. Weldon, Ph.D.
Research Zoologist
Mission From The Heart 