Monday, January 17, 2011
A Tribute to Ed Lowe
Dr. Andréa Sciberras
January 16, 2010
I first wrote to Ed Lowe in either 1982 or 1983 (my saved letters date back to 1983). I was 7-8 years old, and I had enjoyed reading one of his columns. I wanted to become a writer, and I requested his worldly advice on the matter. Well, I didn’t become a writer, at least not a professional one. I became a physician, but writing has continued to be a passion of mine.
Our letters continued over the years. My mother kept them in a shoebox, which she gave me shortly before her death. I especially looked forward to “Mr. Lowe’s” Christmas letters, as each year he drew a different “Ed Lowe-Santa Claus.” To be proper, I always insisted on calling him “Mr. Lowe.” I was excited again this past December to receive his Christmas letter. Again, the Ed Lowe drawing was on the front, but inside was a letter from Susan that Ed had recently been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer and was just admitted to Huntington Hospital. The doctor in me knew that time was paramount, and I hoped to have this tribute done before he passed, so he could hear from me one more time. Time was against me however.
As I mentioned above, our communications continued, despite me growing up, moving away for college, moving back, then moving on to medical school, and finally full swing back to New York for residency. Despite advances in modern technology, we always preferred the written letter. Despite all our communication, I only met Ed Lowe once. I invited him to my medical school graduation party in 2003, held at the Coral House in Baldwin, NY. There was concern as he wouldn’t know any of the other attendees, but we found him (shyly?) sitting at the bar. We warmly welcomed our celebrity attendee in, he blended in well, and I think my grandmother even had a crush on him!
Jump ahead now a few years - 2007 – I move to South Florida in search of sun and sand. While I still continued to send letters, I eventually succumbed to email after Ed had his stroke. The second time I ever spoke with Ed Lowe was a month or two after I had returned from the devastation in Haiti (2010). I had written an essay on my experiences there, both positive and negative, which I had forwarded to all my friends. Ed was very interested, and we had a long conversation, reminiscing about old times and talking about new. It was difficult with his speech affliction from the stroke, but we got through it. Little did I know he would publish two blogs – one about our friendship, and one about my experience in Haiti. In fact, I didn’t find out about them until interviewing for a job a few months later, and one of my interviewers asked if I was the same “Andréa Sciberras” Ed Lowe had written about. My mouth dropped open in surprise.
Ed at that time did not know he had cancer, but in a way, he was memorializing me and our friendship through his blogs, as if he knew this was good-bye. At least that’s what I like to think. We did email a few times after that, and he was happy to know that his blogs may have helped me land the job I had interviewed for.
I did not hear from Ed again, until I got Susan’s letter. She ended it by writing that Ed was very proud of me. While I chose medicine over journalism, I don’t think I could have grown up to become the woman – doctor – “amateur” writer – and unique individual – that I am today without the help of “Mr. Lowe.” Thank you, Ed Lowe. Godspeed.
