Dave-
I just read the Press Citizen article with great interest. The first time I met Dr. Ernie Found (who eventually successfully operated on my back) he asked me why a woman from Ames would come to Iowa City to see a back surgeon. I told him I grew up in the area and had great respect for him and the U of I Hospitals. He then asked which high school I went to and if I played sports. I proudly told him I was a member of the first West High volleyball team to go to state. I wasn’t aware of his family tragedies.
He then slowly and quietly told me of his daughter and wife’s deaths; how special his daughter was – and not just because he was a proud father but because she was genuinely a great kid; of the volleyball season that had just concluded with him in the stands cheering for his daughters teammates. And how much it had meant to him. We sat in his tiny office with tears streaming down our faces. He’s a giant of a man with an equally huge heart. I hope this movie is a true tribute to his daughter and her teammates, and remembers them as Ernie does.
Mary Jo Miller Banwart