This summer has been a very different one for me personally, which I’ll explain in this column. As such, I decided to change my normal focus and write here about awareness and gratitude. I once heard the adage, “Your health is like the weather—often taken for granted until things get stormy.” And that rings true for me today more than ever. As president of Ringling College of Art and Design, my world is filled with to-dos: meetings, lunches, dinners, events, speaking engagements, exhibitions and more. But earlier this month, I was forced out of my role as president and became a patient, actually a patient twice, at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. 

My first visit was due to a routine hip replacement surgery, which was relatively uneventful, and I left the hospital sore and tired but on the mend. Five days later, I found myself back in the hospital with gastrointestinal bleeding that landed me in the ER and ICU at SMH. It was scary. Never in my life have I been more aware of or grateful for the extraordinary teams of healthcare leaders, professionals and staff we have here in Sarasota. While in the emergency room, the doctors thought I was stabilized until a short time later I unexpectedly began losing blood at an alarming rate—and that’s when the rush to the ICU happened. I was quickly prepped to receive an emergency endoscopy to repair a tear in my esophagus. I woke up eight hours later in the ICU wondering what in the world happened, but fortunately alive and well. I had lost eight units of blood. Four days later, I was released into the care of my amazing spouse, Patricia.

I am someone who is always off to the next thing, often not taking the time to reflect and appreciate what has been done. Well, this experience changed me and my view of life.  I cannot adequately put into words my ultimate respect for the “community of care” that is available to us as residents of the Sarasota and Manatee area. We are a small city, and our worlds often collide—as do our industries and experiences. And my exceptional experiences at SMH strengthened my appreciation for the intersection of healthcare and design because, as we instill in our students, the heart and soul of great art and design lies within the human experience. Our worlds bolster each other, work together and coexist. And never have I seen that more clearly than at SMH, where I was treated with the utmost dignity, consideration and kindness.

So, during this time of reflection, I encourage you to consider how you can best support our healthcare system and help others in need. One relatively simple way is to give blood. As the recipient of donated blood, I can truly attest to the significance of this gesture, and you never know who your generous gift will help. At the end of the day, we all exist together in this culturally rich and deeply caring community, so let’s please support each other when and where we need it the most.

Dr. Larry R. Thompson is president of Ringling College of Art and Design. Find a donation center: http://www.scbb.org/ or https://www.oneblood.org/.