A Doctor Who Wouldn't Listen: A 'Y' in the Road

At this point, Sandy's story splits and goes in two directions, like a Y in the road.

One branch is her attempts to reach Dr. Park and find out why he didn't listen to her. A friend who is also a doctor called the UWMC on Sandy's behalf to make an appointment and was told Dr. Park was no longer there.

The person she spoke to refused to tell her where Dr. Park is now or to give her his phone number.

"He ran," Sandy says.

A Web search found Dr. Park in Chicago, where he is an assistant professor in the Department of Urology at the University of Chicago.

See: Dr. Sangtae Park

Sandy believes that Dr. Park's failure to listen to her cost her the use of her left leg. It also gave her cancer time to spread further, and she has tumors in other distant sites as well as the one in her left hip that was removed.

Sandy plans to sue Dr. Park and the UWMC.

Suing her doctor won't give Sandy back what she has lost, but it may pay for an elevator, and the household help she needs, just to get through the day.

"They need to take responsibility," she says. "I really need help."

@ Jeanne Sather 2008.