Dr. Dad: Summerlin fathers balance medical careers with parenthood
It’s no secret that dads often go the extra mile to be there for their children. Dr. David Silverberg and Dr. Russell Nevins, both orthopedic surgeons, are two of those dads.
Orthopedic surgeons operate to treat conditions such as musculoskeletal trauma, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders. Silverberg and his wife, Barbara, who are Summerlin residents, have three children — Sydney, 3, Judah, 6, and Reuben, 7.
“After the first one, you lose quite a bit of your single freedom, and then when you have three, pretty much your whole life is dedicated to your children,” David said. “I have no problem with that. It’s been a wonderful experience. … You realize it’s not about you at all anymore.”
He said having children makes him feel young again and reminds him of when he was a child and everything was new and special. He said such a viewpoint helps make him a better father and he gets enjoyment from those quiet moments when his children are busy with a project or playtime, as he’s there with them.
He said what makes an outstanding father is one who has “dedication to them and one who maintains their self-esteem. I think nowadays, the classroom is more intense — we see it in their homework load — so my philosophy’s that they need to escape, and so I try to get them outside so they experience the world.”
For him, he said it’s all about quality time. He bought an off-road truck so he can take them to areas “where you can hear the quiet of the world, away from highways and traffic. We’ve introduced them to other outdoor activities such as skiing and (hiking in) the mountains.”
His job requires much of his time and includes an erratic schedule with unforeseen emergencies.
“My kids understand that, when I’m not home for a couple nights,” he said. “I sleep down there (at Sunrise Hospital) because you never know when you’re going to get called back, so you just don’t come home.”
He said he could be the best dad possible only because he has the best wife possible.
Barbara recalled how David taught the children to ride bikes.
“He’s expressive and shows affection easily,” she said of how he interacts with them. “His time is very valuable, so when he’s home, he’s spending time with them. He’s not off playing golf or anything like that.”
Nevins, also a Summerlin resident, specializes in total joint replacement and has invented a number of medical devices to help his patients. He also was chief of surgery for Spring Valley Hospital for six years and has lectured around the world. However, he recently stepped down so he could focus more on his family.
He and his wife, Trudi, have three children — Chad, 13, Brooklyn, 12, and Liam, 10. Chad and Brooklyn are typical children, he said, enjoying bike riding, surfing on family trips to California and playing Xbox. Russell said he joins them in their activities as his time allows.
Liam is not able to do those things, as he requires almost 24-hour care. He is autistic and at the severe end of the spectrum.
Until Liam was 2, Russell said he and Trudi noticed he was quiet but thought he just needed socialization opportunities. They enrolled him in preschool, but while the other children were busy enjoying circle time, Liam would go off to a corner and drop blocks. Alerted to his behavior, the Nevinses had him tested. He was diagnosed with autism. Hearing it and learning there was nothing to do but deal with it left Russell feeling alone and abandoned, he said.
“It was absolutely devastating. … I’m a surgeon; my answer is to fix what’s broken,” he said.
But he couldn’t fix Liam. Finding little help in Las Vegas, the couple sought out the University of California, Davis MIND Institute in Sacramento, Calif. MIND stands for Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
They learned statistics: Autism affects one in 65 children, and Nevada has an estimated 6,000 children with autism. But they didn’t learn much that would help their son.
Without a cure, Liam will spend his life being cared for, they said, with every day still spent with him being fascinated by dropping things. His behavior is growing violent, and the Nevinses depend on his caregiver, Jeanie, whose degree is in special education, to calm him when his urge to lash out arises.
“He can be the sweetest child, then he’ll have these bouts of aggression,” Russell said. “… He lives in a different world.”
Liam’s condition has led Russell to join the board of Families for Effective Autism Treatment, which counsels families facing autism and directs them to available services. Russell equates the disease to the way polio was in the 1950s, when the country sent in dimes to support research that eventually led to a vaccine for the virus that caused it. He said he hopes the country can do the same for autism and rally around finding a cure.
For now, he said he watches his kids grow, sharing their triumphs, guiding them when they need help and spending time with them in the pool, one of the few places where he said Liam enjoys himself.
He said at the end of the day, he could not be prouder of his children.
“I love all three of my children, each one of them, and they’re all different. I’m a dad, and that’s what dads do,” he said. “… My hope for Liam is for him to be happy. That’s what life is all about.”
To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.