If a picture is worth a thousand words, this one is worth a thousand thank yous.

When breast cancer survivor Tonya McIlnay headed to Nebraska Medical Center for her final appointment with Edibaldo Silva, MD, surgical oncology, her husband Shawn's mind raced with ways to thank the man who he credits with saving his wife's life. Dr. Silva is retiring at the end of April and moving to be closer to his family and grandchildren. 

"I don't think Tonya would be here if it wasn't for Dr. Silva," Shawn McIlnay explains.

So, unbeknownst to Tonya, Shawn made a frantic phone call to a sign printing company and pulled the couple's four children out of school. 
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Shawn knew he couldn't thank Dr. Silva in person, and especially not with all the McIlnay children present. 

"The biggest thing was I wanted to make sure he knows what he did for us," Shawn says. He explains that Dr. Silva would often schedule Tonya as the final patient of the day, sometimes spending up to an hour answering questions. "Most doctors don't take that kind of time." 

Once the McIlnays were in place with their signs reading "Thank you Dr. Silva" and a big bouquet of pink balloons, staff members were able to lure Dr. Silva to the window of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center to read the message.

"I was so excited by their caring signs, I ran down to join them and thank them," says Dr. Silva, who has kept in touch with the family since Tonya's surgery, often seeing them at events for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Tonya, who knew nothing about her husband's plans, was also emotional over the gesture.

"My wife is not as weepy as I am," Shawn explains. "But she was teary." 

Shawn was joined by Parker, 17, Britt, 15, Maren, 12, and Grayson, 8. Shawn calls Grayson a "miracle child," born after Tonya's chemotherapy, surgery and radiation in 2010. Grayson's birth is another credit to the care provided by Dr. Silva, the McIlnays believe.

"We are going to miss him."