Having two children under the age of 2 is making Carl Lambert, MD, a better doctor, he says. And a better person.
鈥淚 have long taken pride in being patient-centric and empathetic,鈥 says Lambert, a family medicine physician at RUSH, 鈥渂ut I have a whole new appreciation for what many parents have to go through.鈥
Lambert and wife Adrienne鈥檚 nearly 2-year-old son Isaac was born at only 27 weeks, resulting in months in a neonatal intensive care unit and a steady cadence of specialist appointments as his lung development catches up.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 used to giving the orders and setting the pace for patients,鈥 Lambert says. 鈥淏ut his recovery sets the pace.鈥
Isaac meeting his milestones has reframed how Lambert and 鈥疉drienne approach time.鈥
鈥淗is progress, which has been great, slows things down, but in a good way. I now measure success in very new ways,鈥 he says.
Lessons learned
Lambert is proud that lessons learned from Isaac鈥檚 strong and steady progress may make him a better physician, but he is even more proud to just be a dad.
While having a child with medical challenges presents countless moments of worry and frustration, 鈥渢here are even more times to just observe and admire the little鈥檚 guy鈥檚 strength and intelligence.鈥
Meanwhile, the birth of younger sister Naomi in March has made schedules crazier and free time non-existent. But Lambert and his wife find time every day to appreciate the blessings of being parents 鈥 especially this Father鈥檚 Day.
"Fathers, and father figures, are the silent heroes in so many lives," he says. "They deserve their shout-outs this Sunday."
