Merry Christmas in Heaven Dr. K/ Rescue 911 video

Many of you may remember when this episode of Rescue 911 aired many years ago. This is an example of the true hero that Dr. K was. I was so amazed when I checked my e-mail when I came home today to find this in my inbox. A man who I did not know had sent it to me. He had googled Dr. Knelson and found his blog and sent me a message with these videos attached. There are two parts to it, so be sure to scroll down and watch both. It brought tears to my eyes to see him on this video. Even though it was a renactment it reminded me of how he was. Just to hear his voice was amazing. I miss him so much as many do.....Merry Christmas in Heaven Dr. K!

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It has been a year.....

It has been a year since Dr. K passed on to be with his heavenly father. It was a year on January 24. We still miss you so much at the clinic. It is frequently said, "that is not how Dr. K did it" or "if Dr. K was here he would." Well, the clinic is doing well Dr. K and you would be proud to know that we were seeing patients well after 7:00pm several nights this week. So, many sick kids. Dr. Moorehead and the rest of your hand picked staff are taking care of these little angels. I know you have your hand in their care also, watching out for them from up above. Until we meet again, I love you Dr. K and miss you each and every day. Brenda Bridgers

A Hero Has Passed

Dr. Knelson was my hero. His passing has been very upsetting to me and I thought I should write to say what an amazing person and doctor he was. I, along with my brother and sister, were some of his first patients. I was born in 1978 which was the year he came to Carteret County. He was in the delivery room when I was born. When I was only a few months old I became very ill and was running an extremely high fever. I was admitted into the hospital and no one could figure out what was wrong. Dr. Knelson realized that I had Salmonella poisoning and began treating me. My mother said she would never forget that Dr. Knelson, as busy as he was, sat in my hospital room all night long and gave me ice baths until my fever broke. He was a special person. Without him I would not be here today. As a child I was sick quite a lot. I was admitted into the hospital many times and he always knew just what to do. He knew me so well sometimes he would just look and me and know what was wrong. I went through many stages of my life with him, birth, childhood, adulthood and most recently motherhood. I continued seeing Doctor Knelson until I was out of college. I remember sitting in his office at 21 years old thinking…I am definitely the oldest patient in this waiting room. He told me that once I got married I was going to have to go to an “Adult” doctor. I hated to let go but a few years later he came back into my life when I gave birth to twins. When I went into the hospital to give birth one of my first questions to the nurse was “Is Doctor Knelson on call?” I was not giving birth unless he was there. Luckily he was and he was in the delivery room when my little boy and girl were born. The twins were preemies and my son Max had infant respiratory distress syndrome. Doctor Knelson kept a close eye on him and decided that he needed to go to Duke or he was not going to get better. He asked me what I wanted to do and I told him with total confidence that I would do whatever he told me to do. I entrusted him with not only my life but my children’s lives as well. Last year Doctor Knelson yet again reaffirmed his hero status in my life when Max was one of the children that was diagnosed with a rare bacterial infection and had to be hospitalized. I spent 10 long days in Carteret General with a two year old. Doctor Knelson yet again made my son well. I know that are probably thousands of stories like mine praising him, but I felt like I needed everyone to know how he touched my life and that he will be greatly missed by my family and missed most of all by me.


Allison Hardesty Bernauer

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is read
With you life's actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

Linda Ellis

Remember what it was like after your first child was born? Not remembering the fatigue and still raging hormones, but the ecstasy and love. Above all else, it is your family you want to be with and around. The pull on those "roots" is gargantuan. When Julia was born, we were living in Bellingham, Washington and both my mother and father were planning on being at the birthing. However, my father had just 6 weeks earlier suffered a major heart attack making them both unable to travel. So when the babe was 5 weeks of age, I stubbornly packed her up in a snuggly and hopped on the next plane heading to NC. This is where Papa saved my life! (he is my brother's father in law) He knew that I could not drive from Raleigh to Roanoke Rapids with that baby, alone, after having traveled across the country. He knew that my parents could not make that drive to pick me up. He knew how much Phyl and Frank wanted to see that little baby. He knew my determination. He knew and understood the entire situation at that moment. So...Papa flew his twin Comanche from Morehead to Raleigh, picked up Julia and me, and then flew us to Halifax Regional Airport where my mother could easily reach us. And then he just departed back home. No fanfare, no bugles, simply his mission of mercy was done. Papa embodied the spirit of purity of intention.
Matthew 6:1,4 Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see. Otherwise expect no recompense from your heavenly Father. Keep your deeds of mercy secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
Papa was beautiful. Thank you for letting me share this with you. love, Anne Fondren

The Sabdo Family:

Let me say that I am truly saddened at the passing of Dr. Knelson. I can't imagine that office without him! He has been my children's doctor for 8 years now. I tell everyone how he cared for my children. I have three boys and he will be missed. When I was pregnant with my youngest son Zachary (who is now 7!) I thought that I had a normal pregnancy. It turns out when he is born that we thought he had Downs. Dr. Knelson came back in to town to the hospital and went through each diagnosis on my son. It turned out that my son had thyroid disease and that Saturday we left the hospital and went right over to the office. He got on the phone with the endocrinologist who was out on a fishing boat and got him to sign off on the medication that my son needed to keep his life regulated. I will never forget the effort that Dr. Knelson went through to ensure that my son would lead a normal and healthy life. I am proud to say that he is a normal seven year old boy! I don't know what I would have done without his guidance and understanding with me and my husband through that time. He was wonderful with my middle son who is 9 years old, when we found that he had migraines and had to go to Greenville for testing. He was a great man and a wonderful doctor and he will truly be missed in our home! Thank you for allowing him to share his life with us, may God Bless your family in this time of need. Jennifer and Bob SabdoTravis (age 11) Justin (age 9) Zachary (age 7)

From Melanie Willis

Dear Dr. “K’s” Family,
I find myself being a cliché right now; I’m one of the many that didn’t give thanks while John was still here.For the past several months it’s been one of those things on my “to-do” list.
I now give thanks to you, thank you for letting him live in the willingness of the Lord. Thank you for being so selfless. John lived for God in an amazing way, as we have all heard so many times for the past few weeks. And I thank you for that, my children thank you for that.
I have three boys; Patrick age 12, Joel age 2, and Jeremy who is (thanks to Dr. K and many others) now almost 7 months old.Jeremy was born on July 25th of 2007. Within the first twenty four hours it was discovered that Jeremy had a fistula between is esophagus and trachea. Dr. K had just returned from treatments, and I never expected to see him. When he walked in the door, there was an overwhelming sense of calm, he brought my husband and I so much comfort. Jeremy was airlifted to Duke, where it was found that he also had a Coarctation of the aorta and two holes in his lower ventricles. (John had heard a murmur before he left Carteret General). It had been his call to send us to Duke instead of somewhere else. The doctor we received at Duke was definitely the best to perform the surgery that needed to happen. Jeremy had two surgeries within his first week of life, and spent the next few weeks at Duke recovering. Now, you would never know… he’s almost 7 months and weighs 22 pounds. He’s an amazing miracle. God was with us every step of the way, and straight from the beginning gave us comfort and peace by having John walk in to talk to us that first morning.
He has been there for us for the past 12 years, loving and taking care of our children, always bringing us that constant comfort. When I first moved here before my first was born, I met him at St. Andrews where I attended for several years. So, when it came time to take my first child to a doctor, the peace was already there just simply knowing he was truly a believer.
Thank you, that John was able to give himself to God’s willingness could only have happened with the support of his family. I know this is just one of so many letters you have received, but know that my heart is fully in this.
Melanie Willis

From Terry and Nadia Lowe

Not long after my son was born he was hospitalized. He has been very sick on and off ever since. Dr. Knelson has been a special gift to us. Not only did he do the normal things a doctor does but he always took it one step farther. For example the last time my son was sick Dr. K worked closely with his specialist and gave us his cell phone number and told us if we ever needed anything just to call him anytime on that. There are not many doctors that would show that much care and concern especially while not feeling up to par himself. Dr. K was a special person and an exceptional pediatrician. We'll all miss him!

Personal Reflections from Mitzi Johnson

When I think about Papa John and what he’s meant to my life, my thoughts go back to when he and my mother first got married almost 25 years ago. What I remember most about those early years is the wonderful family dinners we would have every night of the week. Papa John, Mama, Jan, and I would sit around a tiny little table that Papa had built. Often, both Mama and Papa John would have worked 12 hours or longer at the hospital or clinic. And yet, every night we would have candlelight, a delicious meal, and soft music (or occasionally Johnny Cash). Our conversations would go on for an hour or more. Back then, Papa would often talk about his experiences as a new doctor, or his years living in France, or places he had been to when he worked for the EPA, or stories about what life was like raising five kids. We would also talk about history, literature, music, politics, or the events of the day.

But you know what? As much as I learned from listening to Papa John all those nights around the dinner table and in twenty years of similar dinner conversations since then, I’ve learned far more important lessons simply by watching his actions.

In the book of Mark, Jesus tells us the most important thing we can do is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all strength. Most of you -- especially those of you here from his church family at All Saints -- know how thoroughly Papa lived out this verse. Despite a work schedule that began at daybreak and often stretched well into the night, Papa lead a life of regular prayer, bible study, fellowship, and fasting. Even when he had precious little strength to give, there he would be on Sunday morning ready to worship.

Jesus also tells us the next most important thing we can do is to love our neighbors as ourselves. This Papa also did every single day. For him, the practice of medicine was not a job or a means to an end; it was a ministry and a way to demonstrate his faith. I know my mother has been comforted by the hundreds of cards many of you have sent with stories of what Papa has meant to you … about the times when your children were sick and the night seemed dark and long and Dr. K’s calm, steady voice gave you the assurance you needed to make it until morning. I’ve been at the house countless times when Papa had put in a full day only to be called to the hospital sometimes two or three times during the night. I never once heard him complain.

When it comes to loving one’s neighbor, I could go on and on. I could talk about how he saw one too many accidents happen on graduation night and decided to found Project Graduation. I could talk about how his idea of a vacation was to go to a country struggling to overcome the ravages of genocide and help to reinstall some semblance of medical services in that country. About how he helped to start a school where a sound Christian education would be offered and how he would go on his non-existent lunch hour to teach French. I know many of you could add your own stories.

Papa, you know I love you. You showed me what a marriage grounded in love and faith looks like and what it means to have integrity. You taught me to be forever a student of the world and to keep my eyes and ears and most importantly my heart wide open.

Papa, I know right now you’re sitting around the dinner table lingering over your ice cream with ginger snaps enjoying a nice, long conversation with the lord your loved and served so well.

Personal Reflections from Mark Knelson

John Knelson's Memorial Service January 27, 2008

Such is the cycle of life that we may rejoice in the birth of our children as my father and mother certainly did with the five of us, however my father was also blessed with the joy of attending the births of so many children in this community and he considered it a privilege to care for them. It was with considerable pride that he recalled during one of our conversations this summer the honor he felt when he more recently cared for many of the children of his earlier patients. As we mourn his passing, my father would want me to remind all of you of the Glory of God and the truly interesting and good life he enjoyed. I have always thought of my father, my Papa, in larger than life, almost mystical terms. Growing up, we five children heard many adventurous stories, a few of which I would like to share.

My grandfather, Henry, called Papa "sonny boy" as a child. Sonny Boy stood out early as a very good student. Once he was marched up from the third grade class to the fifth grade and asked to read aloud standing up on a box as an example of proper and exemplary reading skills. He also grew up pretty tough as he had to then survive the recess period that followed. While Grandpa Henry never made it past the fifth grade, Papa had other plans. He worked hard in restaurants and furniture factories as well as school and his success and interests lead him to study French, of all things. He was selected as a Fulbright scholar and traveled throughout Europe with only a backpack until he got to Paris. At a party he met another Fulbright Scholar and soon he married my mother, Janine and began the adventure of medical school as well as raising a family.

Papa was drawn to pediatrics by a number of factors. Certainly he liked children, but he once told me that the one thing he liked most of all is that they would not lie to him. Papa's pediatrics training was interrupted by the draft and he joined the Army. He thought if he ended up in Vietnam, his best chance of survival was to be with an elite force, so he joined special forces, the Green Beret. I guess sky diving was pretty exciting and he ended up part of an elite group called HALO. These guys would dive out wearing oxygen above anti-aircraft fire and fall as long as 95 seconds from 20,000 feet opening up below radar, typically behind enemy lines. So much for increasing your odds of survival. A skydiving accident put him in a comma for a week just before he was to ship out - perhaps a blessing in disguise. The army offered him an honorable discharge when he awoke and Papa decided to call it even.

My father was lucky enough to enjoy a career in academic medicine when we were growing up in the Triangle. But I really believe that my Papa's happiest time in his life was when he married Brenda and returned to his faith. It was perhaps divine good fortune that I should live two miles from Duke where Papa chose to get his therapy this summer. This allowed me to spend more time with Papa and Brenda in those three months than we had shared probably in 30 years. A bitter sweet blessing, but a gift none the less as our conversations made clear to me the very special love he and Brenda shared for 24 years of marriage, as well as the great affection he had for his family, his friends, his church and his community as a whole.

Thank you Brenda for loving and caring for my Papa so completely. Thanks to all of you for honoring my father and my family by being here today, but mostly thank you for making my Papa's dream of a life well spent a reality.

Recent Carteret County News Times Letters to the Editor

My Papa

January 27, 2008 Memorial Service for John Knelson

My father was a guiding light, a beacon, and an anchor to many, many people. I think more than anything two people stand out-- my mother and Brenda. His light shone with the spectrum of the rainbow-- and I know many of you can understand what I mean when I say sometimes it was bright yellow and sometimes more along the lines of dark blue. But all those different colors combined become true white, and all those who have been in his light have been given a gift. Now our father is in the ultimate light and his true light will continue to shine on us.

As I stood in the receiving line yesterday afternoon I was awestruck by the throngs of people coming to pay their respect. I realized that we were only the first of his five children, for he surely has tens of thousands. What a tribute-- his wisdom, integrity, compassion and faith have touched so many people in so many ways.

This thing I know is true-- Papa set the bar high and would accept nothing less. We as children were really rarely disciplined-- we would hardly dare not to attempt to reach that golden realm of knowing that we had pleased our Papa. For him to be disappointed in us was much worse than any spanking would render in terms of punishment. I think he has imparted this ideal to everyone who has known him-- go for the top and expect to reach it. Why strive for anything less? He said what he believed and believed what he said. He taught us to be independent, to think for ourselves and be accountable for our decisions.

Papa had an eye for detail, for efficiency, he liked things to run like clockwork and woe to the one who would put a kink that machine. I'm sure many of you have experienced the "look" or the "voice" that would make the hair on the back of your neck stand out. But just as quickly he would give you that tender, other "look" and reach out to give you the biggest bear hug that you would glow in the warmth of for a very long time.

Growing up in the depression, Papa tended to hold onto things, "just in case." So, as kids we were naturally very industrious and Papa taught us to use stuff to fix stuff rather than throw it away or buy a new one. I for one seem to have inherited the pack rat gene. "Don't throw that away," was one of his favorite sayings, whether it was a leftover meal or those infamous blue towels that permeate all our households. Who doesn't need a good blue towel? How about a GB? That is short for "good box," in case you didn't know.

But as hard as he might have been on all of us he was hardest on himself. I know there was a very dark period in Papa's life where he felt so tiny, so helpless. The puzzle pieces of his life were strewn about and not connected. His coming to Morehead City, to the "promised land" was the beginning of him picking up those pieces and putting them straight. All of us here are a piece of that great puzzle, each an individual, unique, important piece, for without any one of us the puzzle would not be whole. Brenda was the one who showed him that it wasn't really that hard to start-- you just had to surrender yourself and let something much, much bigger take over. With her help, guidance and unending love Papa took that leap. Thirteen years ago yesterday, Papa gave me a job at the clinic and it has been quite a journey. His mission became my mission quickly, and I've been by his side all these years, living his mission, dreaming his dream. Papa lived his life with such intention; he walked to the edge, listened, laughed, played and prayed. To have been a part of his life is a blessing, an honor, a gift.

I'll close with Luke 8:16-17

No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

Papa has put his light on a stand for us all to see. He has passed on the torch.

Lise Knelson Fondren

Tribute to Dr. Knelson

Dr. Knelson was my childhood pediatrician. He was a wonderful person and excellent doctor. I went to him for as long as I could, probably until I started college. One memory about Dr. K that stands out in my mind is how he would tell the same story to the nurse that was in the room every time I came in. You see, Dr. K came to Carteret County in 1978 and I believe it was around the beginning of July. I was born at the end of July 1978 and he would always point out to his nurses that I was one of his first patients. Since then, he has cared for thousands of children and I'm sure they are all as fond of him as I. He touched many people in his life and he will always be remembered for that! My sister-in-law, Brenda has worked with Dr. Knelson for the past 6 years and she stated it perfectly in an email she sent me on the day he passed away. She said that she was sure he is rejoicing in Heaven today and suffering no longer. I know that the coming weeks will be very hard for Brenda and her colleagues as they face the office without him, but I'm sure he will always be there in spirit continuing to watch over the children of Carteret County. Dr. Knelson will definitely be missed!---Danielle Banks

Just for you Dr. K

I love you Dr. K----I know you are rejoicing up there in heaven. Don't worry-- we are taking care of the clinic. Have a good time up there, but remember to behave yourself. I will miss you each day as I go into the clinic. Your love and care for ALL children will always be carried on at the clinic. It is just amazing to me how alive your spirit is there. Your mission to care for all children--is your legacy to all children who come there for care. Thank you for being my children's doctor, my teacher, my boss and most of all my friend.
I Love You---Brenda