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.

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