02/08/2022
Please see the following! Many of you have also asked me questions and I want you all to be aware of how the office is operating. While I will still be in on normal hours, I want you all to note how Valley Family Wellness is operating too! Thank you all for the continued support.
Good evening, Valley Family Wellness patients and friends,
Many of you may have already heard, but we wanted to let all of our patient families know—last week Dr. Andrew’s youngest daughter Natalie went to the UVA ER for a suspected shoulder injury, but after admittance to the hospital and a 4 day stay, she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic neuroblastoma—a childhood cancer that begins in the adrenal glands as her DNA was formed. Her doctors are amazed at her lack of symptoms based on the size of her tumors, and we are honestly still in shock.
As you can understand, the Dodge family is absolutely shaken by this news, and we are continuing to navigate the full diagnosis and potential treatment options. During this time, however, we want to stress that our office remains OPEN, but with adjusted hours as needed to be able to meet Natalie’s care.
Many people have asked how they can help, and as a local small business, we want to stress a few things:
1. We appreciate your patience. There may be days (or weeks) in the upcoming months that are very trying for our family. When we began this office nearly a decade ago, we had a vision for a place that would support families, and where our patients would run into our own children from time to time. Many of you have come to know our children like your own extended family, and we are grateful for that family-friendly atmosphere. It may take us a bit longer to get back to you and you may find slightly adjusted hours, so we appreciate your patience as we work to navigate this new part of our lives.
2. We need your continued support! As small business owners, medical insurance and care are not subsidized by a larger corporation for us—we work to provide YOU with great care so that we can, in turn, continue to provide for our family! Please continue booking appointments and referring your friends and family—this makes the biggest difference to our family!
Online booking is available even when we may not be in the office: https://www.valleyfamilywellness.com/scheduling
3. And please join us in praying for our precious 16 month old daughter. She is so loved by us and her 4 older siblings and she is such a joy to everyone she is around! We are asking for a miracle and we would appreciate your prayers more than you know.
Dr. Andrew & Nicole Dodge
