Having two children under the age of 2 is making Carl Lambert, MD, a better doctor, he says. And a better person.
“I have long taken pride in being patient-centric and empathetic,” says Lambert, a family medicine physician at RUSH, “but I have a whole new appreciation for what many parents have to go through.”
Lambert and wife Adrienne’s 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.
“I’m used to giving the orders and setting the pace for patients,” Lambert says. “But his recovery sets the pace.”
Isaac meeting his milestones has reframed how Lambert and Adrienne approach time.
“His progress, which has been great, slows things down, but in a good way. I now measure success in very new ways,” he says.
Lessons learned
Lambert is proud that lessons learned from Isaac’s 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, “there are even more times to just observe and admire the little’s guy’s strength and intelligence.”
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 — especially this Father’s Day.
"Fathers, and father figures, are the silent heroes in so many lives," he says. "They deserve their shout-outs this Sunday."
