The Burden of Being Champ: The Dropout, The Legend, and The Pediatrician

A foggy boy called Champ has a disastrous first three years of school. He does not even recognize that he is close to failing; he only senses some near, indefinable danger. A perceptive teacher diagnoses his problem, providing a key that unlocks much of his future. He eventually goes to medical school and ultimately becomes a pediatrician. Along the way, the boy matures and develops a passion for sports; in his grandiose imagination, he becomes a legendary athlete, though very few share that opinion. In this book, the now-seasoned pediatrician reflects on six decades of life in which appearances and reality are often widely divergent. In true, multi-layered stories, he recounts shaping influences, surprising outcomes, and life-altering experiences. With humor and honesty, he shares tales from his boyhood and young adulthood, and he discusses the rigors of medical school, residency, and a busy pediatric practice. He openly describes what it feels like to care for children who are dying or near death, allowing the reader to experience the pediatrician s joyful triumphs, his deep sorrows, his disappointing failures, and his terrifying fears. Within these pages, the boy called Champ sheds his nickname and grows to realize that a true Champion has been with him all his life.