The day I read that Dr. Clifford Rosen was leaving Bangor (BDN, Aug. 15), for a moment I felt like a woman without a country. I thought, What will I do? Then, what will we all do? I never met a more caring doctor and staff.

He’s helped me so much in the 19 years I’ve known him. When my dad died while I was in the hospital with cancer, it was his arm of concern that reached out to me and brought me to where I am today. As I sit in his office among the crowd, it speaks volumes of his concern for and knowledge of each and every one of us – the long hours of dedication and work to Bangor and the area around it. I always told him, ‘I hope you’re not going to leave Bangor.’ Just a grin and a nod.

But now he’s felt led to leave and reach out to broaden Maine and the world through research. But there’s one little country patient who’s really going to miss the care and the notes telling us how we’re doing and we’re not just a number but a person.

We can only pray we’ll be so lucky to find such a man in a doctor again. Whoever it is, it’ll be big shoes to fill.

I wish Dr. Rosen well, and I know that his dreams and talents will reach higher than ever before and more people will be helped because of it.

Harriet Astle

Stacyville