Merry Markham: One of the gifts that I think of was from a patient who did pass away from her ovarian cancer. Every time I went into the exam room when she was there, she was knitting. I had never been a knitter, but I was really intrigued by the idea of making something with my hands.

I loved watching whatever she was knitting grow with each passing visit, and then she'd be on to a new project. Sometimes the chemotherapy that she was receiving impacted her hands and her ability to feel the fiber.

So, we had a lot of discussions about the practicality of it, but also it inspired an interest in me. And now when I pick up my knitting needles, which is not as frequently as it was in the years following, I can't help but think of her. I would not have learned to knit, or at least learned to knit at that time in my life, had it not been for what that patient shared with me during our visits.

So even if I'm not thinking about the sadness or the sad story that surrounded that patient and her diagnosis, I'm remembering that person. And for me, that's really the gift.

Brian Cole: One was an individual who had -- I don't recall if he had an injury or if it was something that got worse and worse over time, but it was preventing him as a world-class knife maker. He lives very far away. It was at least 6, 7 hours away from Chicago. And he was very concerned because he was underinsured, which, from my perspective, was not an issue, as I was still more than happy to take care of him.

He didn't mention it until I did his surgery. He says, "Look, I'm just really grateful that you took care of me." He sent me a beautiful note and said, "I'm going to make you a hand-carved knife that will be very specific to you and your personality and what you do as a surgeon." It was probably almost 2 years later that I heard from him again; he actually came to Chicago and presented it to me. It was really beautiful. And it's a work of art.

I have it in my home office on my mantle in a special holder. It took over 100 hours of work, I recall him telling me. So that's very special that someone took the time to do that, because this is also how he makes his living. So to take the time out to do this for me was particularly special.

Damane Zehra: He was the kind of patient who came to meet me frequently. He would bring me chips. He would bring me biscuits. And he treated me like a close family member, I would say.

So, when he completed chemoradiation, I could not see him for months because I was on another rotation with a different consultant. Although I was very busy, I thought of him multiple times.

So, I went to the counter, and there was this patient, the same brain tumor patient. He had a box of sweets in his hand, and he was beaming with joy. He was extremely happy. And he told me that he wanted to share very happy news with me. Then he told me that, after many years, God has blessed him with a daughter whom he had named after me.

When he told me that he named his child after me, I had no words. I think it's all about empathy. It's all about kindness. It's all about the love. And it's all about the generosity of the doctor, how generous he can be to express his love for the patient. So, it is one of the most memorable days of my life.