Willem-Bill: 'My work is from the heart'

I have a Dutch brother named Willem. In America he goes by Bill. He went to the USA with the American Field Service (AFS) and lived with my family for a year. He fit in perfectly in every way. For example, age-wise he was a bit older than my siblings and me. His English was excellent. Plus his open mind and friendly personality won him popularity wherever he went. He and my father got along particularly well. My father appreciated the intellectual discussions that went on well into the night, spilling over into weekends and other times off. Bill called him “Daddy”, feeling that was truly American.

At age eighteen Bill had no idea what he wanted to become. But he carefully observed my father and his father before him, my grandfather. Both were country doctors. Both adored their profession and devoted their entire lives to it. My grandfather lived between my home and Bill’s high school. So, often en route home in the afternoon Bill would stop by to say hello and end up staying for dinner. At those times, too, he listened and learned about the life of a general practitioner.

Bill returned to The Netherlands after a marvelous year in the States. He suffered terrific reverse culture shock. So much so that his Dutch parents summoned his American parents to The Netherlands to discuss what to do with this very unsettled young man. After an all night discussion, with the American side emphasizing that they did not want to take Willem-Bill away from his Dutch parents, they all agreed that the best course of action would be for Willem-Bill to complete his studies in The Netherlands and then he himself could choose where he wanted to live.

Life unfolded naturally. Willem entered university and decided to become a doctor, not surprisingly. “Daddy had more influence on my life than anyone else I have ever known. That is true not only of his profession, but also of the way he devoted his entire life to his patients and his commitments. Because of him I have become who I am today.” Then he added that had he not known Daddy, he probably would not have become a doctor. Being as open minded as he is, if the circumstances had been different, his life’s direction would probably have taken a different path. But once he made up his mind, he did not waver. And now forty-five years later, he has absolutely no regrets about his choice.

Willem’s specialty is neonatal care. He selected that field for several reasons. Towards the end of his medical education he worked as an assistant in an intensive care unit. He treated people of all ages, but was particularly touched by the babies struggling for life. At that time neonatal care was in its infancy (!) in The Netherlands. So he knew he would be in a wide-open field offering tremendous potential for learning and growth.

Along with focusing on his career, Willem married and had two children, thankfully both healthy. He said that the blend of neonatal care and having his own offspring enabled him to be a better father and a more compassionate and understanding doctor. However, for Willem his profession was the center of his life. “Nowadays”, he told me, “many doctors work fewer hours to spend more time with their families. But back then we did not do that. If there is one regret in my life, it is that I did not spend enough time with my family. But we have a good relationship. And now that I have stopped clinical work, I have more time to be with my wife. And for my kids we, their parents, are their best friends.”

Willem served over thirty-five years doing clinical work. That was in the Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam and the Neonatal Department of the general hospital in Zwolle.

“The work was challenging, exciting, fun. Working with the team of doctors, nurses, social workers, and parents was very rewarding. I had such a good time. Everyone worked together, trying so hard to make the best decisions for the babies and their parents. The first ten years in the field felt like a playground. It was new, exciting, thrilling. We were relatively independent. And at that time anything we did was better than nothing. That allowed a tremendous sense of purpose in my work.

“Now the situation is changing, however. Medicine has become more of a science and less of an art. Hospitals are becoming more focused on the business aspect. There is more organizational responsibility, a greater demand for efficiency. It’s not the same. Also as I aged, I felt I was losing my grip. I felt I would lose the adrenalin high that carried me through the early years. I feared losing my sharpness, making mistakes. So at age sixty-three, I stopped clinical practice.

“But that does not mean I have stopped working. Far from it! I plan never to retire. I can’t imagine myself not working. My work is such an integral part of my life and of who I am. In fact, I am now part of a research project at Utrecht University Medical Center in the Department of Neonatal Care. I have a small part in a large project. My focus is on oxygen supply to the brain in newborn babies.”

Willem also loves teaching. And he still does it. Since he is a senior in his department, he is often asked for advice. And also to his delight, he has taught over half of the neo-natalogists in the Utrecht University Medical Department. Since the field is so small, Willem is known all over the country. And in 2008 he was awarded a prize from the Dutch Society of Pediatricians for his years of devoted service.

“My job is from the heart. Almost everyday my team and I dealt with tremendous moral issues. Larger even than life and death, our concerns were about the quality of life for the babies and their parents in our care. Wrestling with these issues, working together with the team, watching the vulnerability of premature or very ill infants, dealing with the very heart of what matters most in life, all these things were the core of my work. Not many people have that privilege. But I have, and I am truly blessed.”

Now Willem’s work takes him to other countries, too. Recently he has gone to Russia several times to give advice on their budding neonatal care. He lectures and goes to conferences in the USA and in other parts of Europe. So, Willem is still very much involved in the cutting edge of his field.

“But I am not all work!” he adds with a smile. “I have hobbies, too. I love mechanics. So I am fascinated by old cars and trains. Someday I want to take the Siberian Express from one end to the other. I am also concerned about the environment, especially from the angle of how the problems will affect future generations.

“I like being involved. I want to enjoy life and to continue contributing as much as I can until the day I die. Life has so much to offer. And there is always so much work to do, so many ways I can be of service to others.”

And after forty-five years Bill’s relationship with his American father is still as strong as ever. He calls often, visits when he can. “Daddy is still the man I look up to in a very special way.”

In fact, when Willem wrote his thesis in medical school, he dedicated it like this:

To my Dutch parents, who started my way,
To my wife, who accompanies me along the way,
And to my American daddy, who showed me which way