Celebrating Dr. Sweeney

On May 18, 2018, after a lot of prayer, I determined that God was calling me to do something out of my comfort zone: share our story. We made a Facebook page and started our blog, and from there we have started to make our own little mark for Down syndrome in our community. On that very same day, unknown to me at that time, our local community suffered a heartbreaking loss with the sudden passing of Dr. Bill Sweeney. Dr. Sweeney was my perinatologist. He delivered our prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis. He gave us so much hope in that moment, and I have been blessed since the day that I met him by his love, compassion and support. He was an inspiration to me and one of the reasons I felt compelled to start our family’s personal awareness campaign. He strongly believed that families like ours could help to change the outdated perceptions of people living with Down syndrome that persist in society, and particularly within the medical community. Dr. Sweeney, I hope that what we are doing and what we continue to do is putting your hopes into word and actions that make you proud.

When I was approached to speak at his memorial service given at Anne Arundel Medical Center yesterday, June 30th, I felt incredibly honored. Unfortunately, life has a way of hitting you in the face, and I was unexpectedly unable to attend at the last minute. Yet, as always, this was part of God’s greater plan, and I cannot help but feel that Dr. Sweeney was involved. Mrs. Lantz, the wife of Dr. Sweeney’s long time friend, Dr. Michael Lantz, graciously  offered to read my eulogy. Mrs. Lantz’s brother has Down syndrome. His name is Mark.

Mrs. Lantz, thank you so very much for reading these words of mine. I feel closure now knowing that this message was delivered and that Dr. Sweeney has been able to bring you and your family into my life, something I know he is up there smiling about.

And here are those very words:

My name is Katie Baker. I am a physician assistant; and although I learned a lot about what it means to be a great medical provider from Dr. Sweeney, I learned that from him as his patient and he my beloved physician. I am honored to be able to share my family’s gratitude and love for him with all of you today.  And when I say “family,” I do not only mean my husband and children; but I also refer to a group of people whom I have come to call my family, and that is the local Down syndrome community which we became a part of last September with the birth of our son, Mark.

Dr. Sweeney was an incredibly important person to so many families who are also on this journey, and like all of his patients, he will forever hold a special place in our hearts. He delivered the Down syndrome diagnosis perfectly. Every time. Hopeful and optimistic about the future, both near and far, while also acknowledging the challenges that each family may face. He was always compassionate, and over time I learned that he was an unwavering supporter of children and adults like my son. He saw the promise and potential of all of our babies with Down syndrome, something that others may not have, and something that sometimes we ourselves may not have when we were starting on our own journeys with this diagnosis. I will never forget when I called him to let him know that our screening bloodwork supported the suspicion that our son had Down syndrome. We agreed that any diagnostic testing was too risky given the very real concerns for Mark’s health at that time, and that we would continue our pregnancy knowing that Mark would most likely be born with the condition. He then told me that he was sorry that we were grieving the child that we thought that we were going to have, but that “you are going to find that this child will bring you more profound joy than you could ever imagine.” Dr. Sweeney, you were so very right.

Every one of his patients who gave birth to a child with Down syndrome will tell you a similar story. He was devoted to each and every family. He took the journey with you from the moment of your diagnosis. He cried, he laughed, he gave you advice when you wanted it and other days he just listened. He advocated for each mother and child throughout the pregnancy. He directed you to invaluable support groups. He called patients after our babies were born to check in, even if it was the middle of the night, a weekend or on his vacation. He was the exemplar physician, and his unexpected passing has left a huge void in the lives of so many people who loved him, the medical community that praised him, all of his patients who adored him, and the local Down syndrome community who cherished his enthusiastic support.

Dr. Sweeney was a great man, a beacon of hope for his patients who chose to go on this journey, and all of those with challenging pregnancies. His legacy will live on in the stories that we tell, the stories of our children whose lives were made possible because of his love and commitment to them and us.

After our son was born, my husband and I took him out to dinner to thank him for all that he did for us, to celebrate our son’s birth, and simply to just be people. He told us that he was so proud to know families like ours. I remember feeling embarrassed when he said this because he did not even realize that the only person at that table who was special was him. He spoke adoringly about his wife, told stories about his children in whom he felt such immense pride, and shared pictures of his beautiful granddaughter who he loves with all of his heart. I am so grateful to his family for sharing him with our community for so very long.

Dr. Sweeney, you may have felt proud to know us, but we are the ones who are proud and privileged to have known you. The world is definitely a little darker now, but we hope that by keeping your legacy alive and commemorating your life by sharing our stories as your patients, that others will know how a great man truly lives his life: by loving and serving others.