Dedicated to Robert & Elaine Berneike

The East Pavilion Cafeteria is a busy, bustling place at lunch time, so I was somewhat relieved to spot a sweet looking woman in a red volunteer jacket sitting quietly alone. It was my first day on the job as a volunteer coordinator at Yale-New Haven, and I thought this might be an opportunity to meet one of the many volunteers with whom I would be working. I asked if I might join her, and with a smile I have since held dear she introduced herself to me. When I heard her name, I told her that it was familiar since as an infant, almost fifty years ago, a doctor of that name had performed surgery on me. I was born with a urinary tract congenital defect and, after months of diagnostic testing, my parents had been referred to Dr. Berneike, a urologist on staff at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

I was only one year old when the surgery was performed, so I have no memory of Dr. Berneike. However, my mother told me of his concern and kindness and that he had tears in his eyes when he told her of my necessary surgery. He had a baby daughter, too, and recognized the fear on the face of my parents. For many years I hadn’t thought about the physician that had done my surgery although a scar remains as a reminder of his healing work done on my behalf. Now I was speaking to his wife and thought that I might at last have a chance to thank him. She told me, however, that he had passed away, but she seemed to enjoy hearing about my experience and how fondly my parents spoke of him.

From that time on Elaine and I formed a special bond. Each time she came to volunteer we would hug and I would hope that she felt a connection to Dr. Berneike through me. It happened that at this time I was working on my master’s thesis at Wesleyan University. I had chosen the topic of the physician-patient relationship, and when it came time to decide on the dedication, it just felt right to choose Dr. Berneike. I wrote in my dedication that I wished I’d had the chance to thank him although I know that I am thanking him each time Elaine and I exchange hugs and smiles.

When I told Elaine that I was dedicating my thesis to Dr. Berneike, she had tears in her eyes, just as her husband had more than half a century ago.

Eileen G. Coppola
Madison, Conn.