Healed at UPMC, and embraced warmly by Pittsburgh

This letter is not to complain but to compliment the city of Pittsburgh, especially the Oakland section of the city. My husband recently had a lung transplant at UPMC. We just got home after a three-month stay in your city and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to coming back and taking my husband to see all the great sights your city has to offer.

Every person I came in contact with was so nice, from the workers at Rita's on Fifth to the cashier at Eckerd who told me I could find a pill-splitter at Rite Aid, to the servers at Joe Mama's and the people who scoop the ice cream at Dave and Andy's.

It goes without saying the doctors on the transplant team are the best, but the nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, the PCTs, transplant coordinators, social workers, dietary and the housekeeping staff on the ninth floor and the CTICU are outstanding. Without their care and support, not only would I not have made it -- and I am not even the patient -- but my husband would never have made it home. They all deserve above and beyond awards as far as I am concerned. I actually miss eating in the cafeteria.

Thank goodness for Family House on McKee Place, where I stayed. Without it, I would never have been able to stay in the area with my husband. The staff was wonderful and occasionally a different community group would donate their time and make dinner for the house guests. How awesome is that? When you are away from home there is nothing like a home-cooked meal.

I did a lot of walking between visiting hours and the campus and surrounding area is not only beautiful but it is also very clean. When you consider how busy of an area Oakland is that is no small feat.

So -- thank you all so much. I can't wait to come back!

-- Kathy O'Malley, Philadelphia

On the other hand: The kindness of strangers was sorely lacking

I really need to relate an experience I had recently in Pittsburgh and give thanks and "pseudo-thanks" to (most of) the people involved.

I was on my way home from Altoona one Saturday last month around 11 a.m. (I live in Ohio and work in Altoona Hospital as a travel nurse.) I was riding my motorcycle through the poorly planned I-376 detour, and the congestion and stop-and-go traffic made my motorcycle overheat and stall. I let it sit for a while, but ran the battery dead trying to get it started.

Thus began the four-hour ordeal in America's "most livable city."

I would like to thank for nothing the people who walked past me and drove past me without a second glance.

I would like to thank for nothing the man from the towing firm who said on the phone, "I don't know what you're talking about" and "I don't know the city" when I asked for a simple jump-start.

I thank for nothing the Pittsburgh police officer who told me on the phone, "We're not allowed to do that."

I thank for nothing the other towing company I talked to who told me, "The guy will call you back shortly" and never did.

I would like to thank for nothing the motorcycle dealer with Suzuki in its name who told me on the phone, "We don't even do Suzuki anymore" (maybe you should change the name).

Finally, I would like to thank for nothing the city of Pittsburgh for about $10 worth of useless 411 calls on my cell phone.

Now for the sincere thanks:

I would like to sincerely thank from the bottom of my heart the two ladies (wish I had gotten names) who finally helped me get back home. I hope you are rewarded in everything that you do.

-- Michael Pennicuff, Salineville, Ohio