Children sing and make posters to say goodbye to the doctor The surprise tribute that children paid to doctor Thiago de Moura Arruda at a rural health unit in Peixe, in the south of Tocantins, continues to move the professional months after saying goodbye. After working for four years in the village of Lagoa do Romão, he left his post to take on a new stage in his career, but says that the change brought about a longing that was difficult to overcome. In an interview with g1, Thiago stated that he experienced a process similar to that of someone who needs to leave their hometown to seek new paths. “Leaving Romão has been like when a child leaves the countryside to try life in the ‘city’. I cried with homesickness for weeks and today I take comfort in thinking that the love built there is alive”, he said. ? Click here to follow the g1 TO channel on WhatsApp The farewell received repercussions after students from the community's rural school gathered at the health unit to sing the song Você é Especial, by the duo Daniel & Samuel, and handed posters to the doctor. The moment was recorded on video. MORE For four years, he served community residents, carried out home visits and participated in actions at schools, including lectures, educational activities and celebrations on special dates. According to the doctor, the bonds created during this period remain even after moving to an urban unit in the municipality. "I keep in touch with some patients through messages. Others I meet at city events or even on trips to the market or the pharmacy. Some come to fill my heart with love here at the new office. In all cases, I feel a renewed sense of belonging and reciprocation within me", he stated. The doctor also revealed that he has not yet returned to the community since leaving his post because he believes the emotion would be difficult to control. "I confess that I still haven't had the courage to go there again. I'm very sentimental and I know I couldn't hold back", he said. The experience in the urban area of ??Peixe brought new professional challenges. According to Thiago, the social reality found in the care is different from that experienced in the village. "Here is a new daily experience. I have other challenges besides the barriers of distance. I experience social inequalities with patients in a more raw way, which in rural areas was more masked by the union between community members", he reported. Despite the change, he believes that the main lesson learned in Lagoa do Romão is not related to the structure of services, but to the relationship built between residents. “I see that the quality of life that Romão provides is not linked to the ease of finding medicines or looking for health units, but rather to the love that unites the community and that served, and still serves, as a cradle for me and my dreams”, he declared. Unexpected tribute Thiago said that the farewell tribute took place during a morning of consultations. He was in the office when he was called by a nursing technician to leave the room. When he arrived outside, he found dozens of children and teachers gathered to thank him for the work carried out over the years. According to the doctor, the gesture became one of the most memorable moments of his professional career. The initiative was organized by students and teachers from the community's rural school, where he also developed awareness and integration activities with students. On social media, after saying goodbye, Thiago thanked him for the affection he received and highlighted the importance of family medicine in building bonds with patients. See more news from the region on g1 Tocantins.