I flew to Seattle from my home in Ohio in the midst of an emergency when my son fell 50 feet into a canyon in the middle of Olympic National Park last week. After an amazing Coast Guard rescue by truly heroic personnel on the Dolphin and Jayhawk helicopters, and a hospital stay, we found our way to a relative’s house in Redmond.

Still suffering from the effects of a concussion, my son had all kinds of threatening symptoms: nausea, dizziness and pain in many different locations. When a shooting toothache kept him up all night, we thought a dental visit might be in order. Dr. Russell Nomi, a longtime Redmond dentist, after only a quick phone call, agreed to see my son at our convenience.

When we arrived, even the other patients made us feel at home and accommodated our visit. Dr. Nomi patiently and thoroughly helped us puzzle through the minefield of dental problems related to my son’s injury, did some quick dental work and arranged for my son to have an emergency root canal later in the day.

My son’s take on the whole experience: he had never gotten to watch TV in a dental office. How cool is that? In rural Ohio, where we are from, the dentist offices are not as high tech and inviting as Dr. Nomi’s. In a week where scary medical procedures were the norm, Dr. Nomi’s office was a quiet respite.

So many Redmond residents have helped us in ways large and small, from opening doors, suggesting painless bandages to bringing ice cream. We have truly benefitted in lifesaving ways from the kindness of strangers who are now our Redmond friends. We thank you all.

Irene McMullen
Chesterland, Ohio