My call to pediatric medicine began in 1995 while I served as a missionary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was during a volunteer experience in a small orphanage that I discovered a blossoming passion for childrens advocacy. I just didn't know at the time that my journey would wind through a diverse path of pediatric experiences before I would land my dream job at Cook Childrens Allen. During my time in Brazil I witnessed great hardship, but I found hope in the eyes who served others. The words of the American poet Carl Sandberg capture the "wow" moment that was planted in my heart in that orphanage 25 years ago, "A new baby is God's sign that the world should go on".
I was privileged to complete my undergraduate training at Brigham Young University in Nutritional Science. From there, I went on to complete my medical training at my top choice of schools, Texas A&M College of Medicine. Pediatric residency at Helen Devos Childrens Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI then provided me an outstanding springboard of medical experience and knowledge. Pediatric hospital care, teaching, and medical research were highlights of my time as a resident. From Grand Rapids my family returned to the great state of Texas and I joined Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. For a brief two years I pursued my interest in pediatric resident education and hospital care for sick children as an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Medicine. As my family continued to grow we decided to return closer to our extended family in the north Dallas area.
I continued my search for the ideal practice, settling for three years at Lovejoy Pediatrics and then four years in pediatric urgent care. Those experiences broadened my knowledge base of childhood development, injury diagnosis and treatment, management of medical emergencies, and expertise in routine pediatric illness. The years I dedicated to these different pediatric settings taught me how to approach care as a partnership. I value working alongside the family to understand their needs and help them sift through medical information. As a father of seven children, I understand the importance of having someone to support you through your childs growth, illness and health challenges.
Despite many exciting moments in urgent care, I continued to look for a more personable way to care for children as they transition from birth to young adulthood. I'm overjoyed to be the primary pediatric physician at Cook Children's in Allen. It's clearly the best organization I've found that will support me in caring for the children of this area. Since joining Cook Children's I've once again felt that humanistic spark that I first experienced while holding a small baby in that Brazilian orphanage.
Outside of practicing medicine, I find my greatest joy in spending time with my wife and children. In my personal time I like exploring different RV camp sites around the state, road and mountain biking (sometimes spending more time falling than riding), reading, gardening, and playing the piano.
We look forward to meeting your family and are excited to serve the surrounding communities for years to come!
