“The care the doctors and nurses gave, the responsiveness, they rocked me at night, would take me out and walk me and rock me. Just the comfort they gave was something our family will never forget,” the Panthers GM said.
Of course, since he wasn’t quite to the point of remembering the story at that point, his mother has filled in the blanks for him over the years, and the central themes of the story always come through.
“It was a very scary time; we were so frightened about so many things, mainly Scott’s health,” his mother said. “But for a family with two other small children, the simple fact of not being able to be there around the clock, and knowing he was cared for the way he was.
“And in 1973, with only one of us working, a bill of thousands of dollars would have been devastating to us. But they made it clear to us that shouldn’t be a concern, and the only priority was getting him better.”
Once he recovered, it was back to the business of being Jack and Judy’s baby boy, one “adored” by his sisters.
“The girls were fascinated by him, so thankfully, he was a sturdy child,” his mother said. “He had a lot of kids playing with him and breathing on him and tugging at him.
“What can you say? He’s a survivor.”
Scott Fitterer saw his mother’s perspective with adult eyes when his daughter was treated at the same hospital when she was younger, recognizing the level of care and the personal touches that can mean so much to patients and families.
“It’s just the way they are, it doesn’t feel like most hospitals where you walk in and it’s sterile white walls,” he said. “It can be scary for kids. This one, you walk in, kids think they’re having fun; it takes all the edge off. It’s just a welcoming environment, between the decorations and the care you get.”
Now that he’s found a new home in Charlotte, the work of Levine Children’s Hospital quickly became something Fitterer wanted to support as he found out more about their reputation providing top care to their patients — since he knows what families go through.
The shoes he’ll wear Sunday were decorated by Iizayah Moore, a 12-year-old being treated for osteosarcoma. He has already gone through major leg surgery and a total knee replacement but has a love for both digital art and the Panthers (and has gotten to know linebacker Shaq Thompson and played video games with him during another team event).
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