I heard some incredibly inspiring speakers at the SACS-COC conference. One was Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon whose career highlights include the first separation of Siamese twins joined at the back of the head. Carson grew up in a tough neighborhood in Detroit in a single-parent home. His mother, who only had a third grade education, worked three jobs to keep the family off welfare. Carson said she worked for affluent families and noticed a lot of books in the homes, so she limited her sons to only two television programs a week and made them go to the public library instead. They prepared two book reports a week for their mother...reports she couldn't read (but her kids didn't know that.)
Carson has used his success to help others. He and his wife established the Carson Fund to reward young people for academic and humanitarian accomplishments.
It is said that whenever Carson operates, he takes the time to visit with the family of the patient. He tells them, "Pray, but don't worry. Worry never cured anybody."