My life has been a series of pivotal events that have culminated in Saravit Wellness, a Telehealth clinic and community that promotes health and wellness for anyone ready to start living their best life!
April 1980
There was a military coup in Liberia, Monrovia, my birthplace, and my family was forced to flee the country. I vividly remember sneaking through houses and neighborhoods during the night to get to a safe place. My next memory is boarding a flight and traveling to the United States where our family was given safe haven with friends. My mother had to start over–she worked hard to provide a safe and stable home for my brother, my cousins and I. Hard work, community, grit, and the focus on education ran deep in my family.
May 1994
I spent the first 10 years of my working and professional life as a project manager, supervising the construction of office and retail buildings. I thrived on the collaboration and teamwork that was required, and the satisfaction of completing a project that was a mere concept month prior. I enjoyed my job but I found that I wasn’t passionate about it.
September 2004
It took the heartbreaking deaths of my sister and my mother for me to find the courage to walk away from the security of construction and start the process of becoming a physician. From the time I moved to the US, I was fascinated by anything medical, but lacked the internal belief that I was capable of becoming a physician. After completing residency, I pursued a sports medicine fellowship, because working with athletes was routed in collaboration, teamwork, grit, and perseverance towards goals that seemed impossible at times. It was exhilarating!
What quickly became apparent was that by limiting myself to “athletes”, I wasn’t helping people like my mother and sister – the true reason I went into medicine. As a physician in our current healthcare system, I didn’t have the time to connect, educate, and work collaboratively towards health. I was managing disease along with the pain and loss of vitality that comes with it. I was mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted.
March 2020
On March 30th that all changed. That was the day I joined The American College of Lifestyle Medicine. What I have realized over the last two years is that I didn’t need to leave healthcare– I just needed to change my focus. What brings me fulfillment is to be 1) collaborative, not prescriptive, 2) to educate clients that they have control over their health and quality of life– not me and my prescription pad and 3) that clean nutrition, physical activity, social connection, and restorative sleep are foundational to achieving and maintaining vitality. To call me a Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician is my single biggest professional accomplishment. In my opinion, Lifestyle Medicine is the key to saving our current health system.
