Editor, The Times:
I have just recently seen the article “Solutions: Residency Program Based at Royal Inland Hospital Offers Hope For Future (Kamloops Daily News, Nov. 30). I am the spouse of a rural doctor, and feel that I must comment on remarks made by Dr. Bob Woollard in this article, particularly that being the spouse of a rural doctor is the worst job in the world.
My husband and I moved to Clearwater 23 years ago. The intent was to stay for two or three years. We never left.
I have never felt anything other than blessed to be the spouse of a rural doctor. While it is true that our life is often unpredictable due to my husband’s work, so it is for many others as well.
We raised our three children in Clearwater, and I have never felt like a single parent. Residents of Clearwater are respectful, caring and protective of our family life. Sometimes bad things happen, and he must leave to assist at the hospital---we are flexible and we work around it.
There have been difficult times for the medical community in Clearwater over the past years. People in the community ask me, "How is he doing?”---then they ask, “How is your family doing?” We are all in this together, and I would not change a thing.
I consider it a privilege to be the spouse of a rural doctor, and I would like the community of Clearwater to know that our family appreciates the home we have found here.
Laura Soles
Clearwater, B.C.