Like Father Like Daughter: Diane Weiss Awarded 2013 Lawton Chiles Award

My father, Dr. Norman Goldstein, was one of just a few Pediatricians in Sarasota in the early 1960’s when we moved to town.  I remember when he made house calls, back when Sarasota was a small community and doctors did things like that.  I remember when we couldn’t go anywhere without a child or a parent stopping him to say hello, to thank him for all that he had done for them.  I remember how he tirelessly advocated for children, making sure they received the services they needed to reach their full potential.  And I remember the day that I stood next him more than 12 years ago when he received the Lawton Chiles Award from the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota.

Last month I received the Lawton Chiles Award.  It was a bittersweet day for me.  I was humbled, and proud, and overwhelmed.  And I was filled with sadness.  What I would have given to have had my beloved father standing with me as I became a fellow recipient of this esteemed award.

Honors like this one are most meaningful when shared with friends and families, so today I’d like to share it with you, our Weiss Pediatric Care family.  If you’d like to read about the award, here is a link to the full press release: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20131107/ARTICLE/131109725/-1/news?Title=Sarasota-child-specialist-given-Lawton-Chiles-Award.  And to learn about the good work of the Healthy Start Coalition, please check out their website at www.healthystartsarasota.org/