Achieving Remission Right Here
The Story of William Shirah
More than five years ago, William Shirah started noticing changes in his teeth and face. Then, his teeth began to fall out, and holes started to appear. He and his wife went from doctor to doctor, but they weren’t able to find a provider who could help him—until they met with board-certified head and neck surgeon Dr. Timothy Haffey of Singing River ENT.
William’s case was extensive, but under Dr. Haffey’s care, he never gave up—surviving numerous surgeries, setbacks, and even a carotid artery rupture. He said, “I thank Dr. Haffey for not chunking me out. He let me fight. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here.”
Dr. Haffey said of his patient, “He’s one of the most resilient people I’ve ever met. Both he and his wife are awesome. They’re more like family now than patients. He’s five years out and cancer-free.”
Service Before Self at Singing River ENT
The providers of Singing River ENT—which also includes board-certified head and neck surgeon Dr. Erik Rasmussen—are dedicated to bringing the most advanced care possible to our health system. Dr. Haffey explained how they found their calling:
“I grew up being a soccer player—that’s all I wanted to do. I happened to go on a medical mission trip when I was in college, playing soccer, and it just changed the trajectory of my life. It’s maybe ironic that both Dr. Rasmussen and I have a service-based history, but when you look at the model of medicine at Singing River ENT, it goes hand in hand with service before self—service to the community, trying to meet the needs of the underserved.”
William’s outcome was possible because of the high level of care available near his home in Moss Point, Mississippi. Dr. Rasmussen spoke about being inspired by his parents to provide care locally:
“I grew up in Southeast Asia—my parents did missionary medical work. Seeing how many of those needs were met with just a few tools they had—I kind of knew that was for me.
Singing River, in many ways, offers academic-level medicine at a community health system. We treat head and neck cancers that are often not addressed in a hospitals of our size—and not only is it done, it is done with excellent care and excellent results.
“We’re allowing people to stay closer to home to get their care. I want people to know they can come here and know they’re getting top-notch, evidence-based care in their local community.”
