A Visit with Dr. Red Duke

We had the most amazing doctor appointment ever!  Today Samuel had his appointment with the trauma team. To our surprise, Dr. Red Duke came in and visited with Samuel for a good two hours. He told Samuel how he knew all about him, but never met him awake. I took the dressings off the wounds and he showed me how to use the silver nitrate sticks.  We visited about vet school, longhorns, paint horses, Aggies, and even his frustration with art and painting.  He told us about a Longhorn bull that was named Red Duke that was donated to an auction with the money to benefit Life Flight. He said it was back when Tom was the president of the TLBAA. He said he bought that bull and sent him home with a friend, but the bull got struck by lightning years later. He told us how he's a rancher at heart still and doesn't ever own a television, but only watches the weather on the televisions throughout the hospital.  He shared a story of a painting he did one time that looked like it needed something so he added a longhorn. He tried to sell it for $25,  but said some goofy person paid him $750 for it!  He joked about being a frustrated artist and said he looked forward to retiring and having time to paint.  

He said Samuel was doing great!  He is a miracle!  He gave us his cell phone number before we left and told us to call if we ever needed anything. He was such an amazing person to meet, with such a zest for life and appreciation of beauty. I felt as if I was talking to a legend!  What a humble beautiful soul!  We were truly blessed to spend time with him this afternoon.