Childhood should be a time of love, safety, and security. Childhood shouldn’t be hard. But for Dr. Christopher Smith, what shouldn’t have been was.
Raised with ten other children in what some suggest is one of the happiest states in the nation, Chris’ Utah childhood was extraordinarily chaotic: plagued by poor decisions of dysfunctional parents, void of even the pretense of financial security, constantly on the move when angry landlords served eviction papers, and devastated by the death of a younger brother. Chris struggled with the deep emotions of this tumultuous life leading him to nearly take his own life at 12 years of age.
Frequent visits to the library took him to worlds far away from the terrible life he endured. Yet the joy found in fictional worlds of wonder proved fleeting when Chris’ family was kicked out of a rental home in mid-winter with no alternate accommodations to be found. Chris’ life reached its nadir as he was forced to spend his nights in an unheated car, where freezing to death in his sleep seemed a welcome option.
Despite being homeless, Chris earned a scholarship to college and married Teena, his soulmate. Although they soon learned that life still had many serious challenges to throw at them, they prospered together and overcame trial after trial, including being victims of identity theft by Chris’ parents and health issues that nearly ended Teena’s life. They adopted two children and had three more of their own. Chris was accepted to medical school and overcame all odds to become a resident physician at the prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital, eventually becoming a faculty member as a practicing physician. His knack for medicine, strength of will and tenacity for learning led him to become a successful radiologist.
This is the story of Dr. Christopher Smith, the raw and deeply personal account of his journey—From Homeless to Hopkins.
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