Walt Larimore

“I want you to be like Francis Moore - willing to do anything, even unconventional things, to help a patient, to save those others consider beyond saving. I want you to always be cautious about the costs of caution. A dose of caution is wise, no doubt. But too much of it can harm your patients. It's only when a doctor is willing to try anything to help his patients that he can find something new to do for them. And sometimes it'll be like walking on hot coals - it's not easy, and not everyone's willing to try. But if you keep your patient's best interests at heart, I think your skin will be thick enough to handle the heat. And the rewards of doing what's right, even when it's not easy, are among the sweet things that make our profession so satisfying.”
― Walt Larimore, Bryson City Seasons: More Tales of a Doctor’s Practice in the Smoky Mountains

“It was my first inkling of mountain reality - that a man's herd was an extension of his family, especially if he only had a few animals. His life revolved around his animals and his sustenance depended on them. He grew to love each one of them, name them, to learn their peculiarities and habits. He could read them - and the weather - better than you or I could read the newspaper.”
― Walt Larimore, Bryson City Tales: Stories of a Doctor's First Year of Practice in the Smoky Mountains