Veterinarian 'works from her heart'

From the ARIZONA DAILY STAR | October 22, 2005

The recipient of this week's Ben's Bell is Mary Kay Klein, an oncology specialist at the Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center and a clinical lecturer at the Arizona Cancer Center.

Klein was nominated by Karen Wheeler and Terri Ullrich, who described her by saying: "Her kindness and caring reach far beyond the animal world and touches the lives of all who know her."

"Dr. Klein works from her heart, handling the difficult grief issues of her clients and their pets with grace and kindness," they wrote. "She has been with us in times of hope and in times of great sadness, and understands that our pets, her patients, are part of the family. Under her care, our pets have had the chance to have happy, extended lives, a chance they wouldn't have otherwise had.

"Dr. Klein often apologizes for not having a 'magic wand,' but little does she realize the miracles she performs every day and the difference she makes in so many lives."

The Ben's Bells project began in March 2003, one year after Ben Maré Packard died of croup, just before his third birthday.

Ben's parents, Jeannette and Dean, had been making the bells to help handle the grief of losing their son. With the help of family and friends, they began leaving hundreds of bells all around Tucson for random people to find, as a reminder to be kind and help ease one another's pain.

The project has grown immensely since then and thousands of people now have received a Ben's Bell. Ben's friends began the latest phase of the project in September, weekly "bellings" for those among us who make our community a better, kinder place to live.