ROCKPORT, Maine — It has been said that the "care" has been lost from the "health care" industry, but try telling that to the room full of medical professionals who gathered Wednesday night at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.
They were there to honor a doctor in Kennebec County who is well known for taking the care of his patients, their families, and even the entire community to new levels: Dr. Kieran Kammerer.
Kammerer has been named the 2023 Maine Hospital Association's Caregiver of the Year. The event was emceed by NEWS CENTER Maine Morning Report anchor Sharon Rose.
Eleven years ago, Emily Bessey brought her 4-month-old son Ezra in for a well visit. Bessey was mildly concerned he didn't seem to be hitting normal milestones, like holding up his head, but she had no idea he was harboring a deadly disease.
"I'm pretty confident Dr. K knew right from the jump what was going on with our son, and he was super protective of us and said, 'Please don't Google this,'" Bessey said. "He gave us the general sense. But, long story short, we eventually had a diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy, which in 2012 was essentially a death sentence for our baby."
While the family frantically searched for information and treatments, any thread of hope, they knew there was only one person they could lean on.
"Dr. K was with us every step of the way," Bessey said. "He really took our family under his wing."
Kammerer even made house calls when Ezra needed treatment, so his compromised immune system wouldn't be endangered by a visit to the office. Then, he was there when the inevitable happened.
"I think Dr. Kammerer understood what we were going to face when we would have to say goodbye to our son and preemptively encouraged us to find a way to channel our grief," she said.
That channel became "Hearts for Ezra," a nonprofit that touched the community with fun events for kids, raised awareness about Ezra's condition, and funneled more than $30,000 to research.
"That is such an example of the holistic way that he cares for people, because he understood that we needed something to do that would both honor our son and also somewhere to put our energy, and it was just incredible to have his support through all that," Bessey said.
Kammerer, like most "greats," is humble about his accomplishments and his legacy.
"I, you know, I fell into the best job in the world," he said.
Kammerer also spearheaded the rainbow chairs that line the riverfront in Hallowell, where people can sit and relax, eat lunch, and watch their kids play.