Ariana Celebre is a patient of Dr. Maximillian Hecht at Aurora Medical Center – Kenosha. After being cared by him for years, she was inspired to write the following letter of gratitude to him and his team.
I have struggled to find the right way to thank someone who played such an important role in welcoming my three children, three nieces, and soon-to-be first nephew into our lives. The only thing that felt fitting was something that may seem old-fashioned: writing a letter. But not a private one, because what Dr. Maximillian Hecht has meant to our family deserves public recognition. Our community should know what an exceptional doctor he is.
A little background on how he became our OB: eight years ago, my sister experienced the heartbreak of losing her first pregnancy due to an ectopic pregnancy. She also lost a fallopian tube, which reduced her chances of becoming pregnant again. Dr. Hecht performed emergency surgery and, while he could not save the baby, he saved her life and preserved her chance to have children in the future. Our entire family was deeply moved by the way he handled her care with compassion, kindness and clear expertise. In that moment, I knew I wanted him to be my OBGYN when I was ready to start a family. He reassured my sister that she could still have children, and she later welcomed two daughters, who are now 7 and 3 years old.
To this day, choosing Dr. Hecht remains one of the best decisions I have ever made. When selecting a doctor who may be present for some of life’s happiest, and sometimes hardest, moments, you hope for someone who is both knowledgeable and compassionate. I am fortunate that Dr. Hecht is both. Because I have a family history of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), he was open to running tests and confirmed my diagnosis. From there, he carefully explained our options for starting a family without ever pressuring or steering us in one direction. He took the time to answer every question and concern. After trying on our own for a few months, we chose two fertility medications, and after the second round, we became pregnant with our first son, Giovanni, now 3. Eighteen months to the day later, we were blessed with our daughter, Siena, now 2. Two years after that, our baby boy, Santino, was born on August 7, which, coincidentally, is also Dr. Hecht’s son’s birthday.
Throughout all three pregnancies, Dr. Hecht answered my questions with knowledge, patience, and options, never judgment or pressure. He offered guidance while respecting every decision I made. Even after writing all of this, it is still difficult to fully express the impact he has had on our lives. We went from believing it might be very difficult to have children to having three children in three and a half years.
Dr. Hecht was there for each birth as we welcomed our children into the world, although he was supposed to be off the day Santino was born. When he heard I was in labor, he decided to come in.. He told my husband he wanted to be there for the happy moment!
I have encouraged family and friends who are starting their own families to choose him as their doctor. My sister, stepsister, sister-in-law, cousin, and I have all been under his care. All of us have a spectrum of women’s health issues that could make it more complicated to become pregnant. My sister and I have PCOS, and my sister-in-law has endometriosis. Dr Hecht was able to help all three of us through his expertise. My sister-in-law had surgery to treat her endometriosis and became pregnant with her first; I went on fertility medication to help regulate my periods and was able to conceive our first; and he performed ectopic pregnancy surgery on my sister, which saved her life.
If you are a woman looking for a doctor you can trust, someone with exceptional knowledge of pregnancy and women’s health, a calming presence during labor, and an incredible bedside manner, Dr. Hecht is the one you want by your side.
Thank you to his staff for their care and kindness.
Thank you to his wife and son for sharing him with families like ours, even when it meant he had to miss moments with them.
Thank you, Dr. Hecht, for the care you have given me and my family. You truly are in a class of your own.
Women’s health at Aurora Medical Center – Kenosha is supported by philanthropy. To help women like Ariana and their families, please make a gift today.