Dear editor:

A little more than three and a half years ago, my life was saved by the quick actions of the emergency room doctors and nurses at Chilton Medical Center.

As many of you know, due to a staph infection and toxic shock, my chances of living were almost nil. Time was of the essence, as I needed critical care immediately. Being able to get to our local hospital in a matter of minutes versus having to travel to another city saved my life. The excellent, professional care that I received from the entire staff at Chilton Medical Center is something I think about very often.

I want to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to support and utilize Chilton Medical Center. While we have an excellent ER, our hospital provides many other medical needs and has qualified, professional, caring people to provide these services. Just a little less than two years ago, I had outpatient surgery there and again received excellent care. Please encourage your doctor to use our hospital for any labs, x-rays and any other outpatient services that may be administered locally.

We often take for granted a lot of things we have until we realize we don’t have these things anymore. Our hospital is in dire need of our support!

Consider this: Think of one of your most beloved family members and if that person should have a sudden major life threatening illness where minutes meant life or death.

I am sincerely grateful to Chilton Medical Center, and may God bless.

Judy Vines Martin