Saturday, May 23, 2009

The Dr sam Christian I Know Part II

By Dr Emanuel Finn

When I entered DGS in 1972 we were told to look up to the boys in 6th form for guidance and leadership. One of these senior classmen was a well spoken and friendly guy named Samuel Christian who hailed from Didier lane.

dr sam christian
Dr Sam Christian.


His parents, retired fire man Wendell Christian and Alberta Christian who retired as a mental health nurse at St Luke's Hospital, raised their four sons and three daughters with the understanding that hard work, respect education and faith in God and love of the land of their birth are the foundation and fundamentals of their home.

After DGS Sam taught at Wesley High school where he was sensitized to the fact sustainable development in our society would have to include women playing key and vital roles in leadership positions. At about the same time he was the elected president of the united student Council and then Secretary General of the National Youth Council and co-hosted the youth program Motion on DBS.

Sam headed to Shorter College in Rome, Georgia with the help of southern Baptist lay missionaries. He worked his way through college graduating with honors in Chemistry and completing the 4 year program studies in 3 years. At Shorter he was the president of the International Student Organization and founded/captained/coach of the soccer program.

In 1981 Sam started Medical School at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington DC. In 1982 I found myself in Washington DC on a college campus lonely but with an enthusiasm to acquire more knowledge but with little money and not knowing if any or where my countrymen and compatriots reside in this complex and sophisticated metropolis.

While listening to a radio station, a familiar voice came on asking Dominicans to call a telephone number and that Sam Christian is looking for Dominicans to start a Dominica Association of Washington DC Metro Area.

Sam got ulcers trying to stretch his money, eating fish heads with 'Kool Aid' and crackers. When his younger brother Gabriel (now a highly successful Maryland attorney) joined him he still did not have a working refrigerator and had to leave their perishables in the snow outside the back door.

While in college in DC we were all broke and times were hard for us in the big city. With a rugged determination to succeed we preserved. In spite of these conditions we shared the joys and sorrows of working hard to achieve something in life. Sam would like to see that kind of work ethic and reward revived in Dominica.

I will forever be indebted to Sam for his unwavering emotional and financial support he gave me during my trying undergraduate college days in the middle of the winter when funds were low and sprits and energies were down during my freshman year.

Sam gave me his room (at no charge) when my housing situation became desperate in the middle of winter. During these rough times we always talked about the fact that education is about transcendence especially for poor people’s children and one day we all will be back in Dominica making a meaningful contribution to our country. We always viewed the big city and higher education as duty.

Today life is very different for us as we enjoy our families and successful careers in the big city. In spite of this fact, our thoughts, hopes and prayers are forever with our island home and we feel the pain of our people. Our allegiance is and has always been to Dominica and not to other country, party or posse or crew.

Dr. Sam got married to Dr. June Henry a nutritionist he met while at Howard on the same day he graduated from medical school in 1984. June’s first trip outside of her native Guyana as a teenager was to Dominica. The cultural singing group the Sifleur Montagne Choral sang at her home during the Carifesta celebrations in Georgetown in 1970. The couple has two sons, Kwame, at the Ohio State University and Kobie in High school.

Dr. Sam received his training in surgery in New Jersey and at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. He and June then retreated to Ohio to start his career in General surgery, raise their sons and repay his student debts before returning to Dominica.

Dr. Sam has performed numerous weight loss surgery procedures in the U.S. He shifted into the area of helping patients shrink their own overstretched stomachs by controlling their eating. Because of June's background in nutrition, he is also very interested in primary care, and lifestyle management of common diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure and their systemic effects on life and well being..

One of his patients lost an incredible 1000 pounds without surgery and was featured on the Discovery TV Channel seen all over the world. He remains, to this day, the only known patient to have lost so much weight, naturally, and survived.

Dr. Sam wrote the faith and fitness book Mannafast Miracle based on his professional experiences both in Dominica and the United States. Through numerous radio and television appearances, Dr. Sam promotes personal responsibility for one's condition and the notion that people are much more capable of change if we provide the right guidance and nurturance.

Despite Dr. Sam’s personal and professional successes, his ’home’ will always be in Didier lane where it all began. Today life is very different for him and a very far cry from those Washington days as a medical student. In spite of this fact, he remains a very humble, proud, centered and a true patriot with an unbinding and uncompromising love for his country. This is the Dr. Sam Christian I know.


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Comments:
He is not humble. He is a patriot and all that. But painting him as a humble is an insult to the word humility.
 
DR. SAM IS A HUMBLE. YES HUMBLE, FORTHRIGHT DOMINICAN MAN WHO SPEAKS TRUTH TO POWER; WHO BOLDLY STANDS FOR WHAT HE BELIEVES. AND LIKE JESUS HE CALLS THE PHARISEES A BUNCH OF CORRUPT VIPERS. YES, DR. SAM IS A HUMBLE MAN!
 
The Dr Sam I know would not make a fool of himself, by running around Roseau 7 times singing and shouting with Robin and other paros and blowing horns.

Where is Dr Sam? Will the real Dr Sam stand up?
 
I don't know if he is humble or not. But using religion as a cover to announce his possible candidacy that is low. If you want enter to politics just announce your entry. Don't used god to make a grand stand.
 
Dr. Sam and his brother Gabu needs to come clean with Dominicans and tell them the UNDERLYING REASONS why they became so FRUSTRATED with Hon Roosevelt Skerrit most of all and secondly, the Dominica Labour Party, the Institution THEY Claim to be a WHOLE HEATEDLY part of. Thinking that Dominicans are fools, can't see what's happening in Dominica, with as Dr. Sam once put it in a conversation with an associate of the Dominica Labour Party, "I'm ONLY TALKING ON WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY OTHER OF THINGS HAPPENING IN MY HOME LAND, BUT I HAVEN"T SEEN FOR MYSELF ANYTHING YET." When he was asked by that associate, why don't you go a see for yourself then talk, he remarked, "I'LL BE HERE FOR SOME TIME SO I"LL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE." But it seems like Dr. Sam is Blind and had some sort of amnesia and NEEDS a Doctor for himself. As for him brother, we will here about him later. "I WANT GEO THERMAL LICENSE FOR ME TO DRILL NOW COMRADE SKERRIT. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO SET UP YOU BOY?"
 
I met Dr Sam in the '70s when I moved from the country to attend school in Roseau. The town people called me “country-bookie” back then.” Where I grew up there were not many young people who were from my Christian faith. I grew up thinking the really “groovy” young people did not attend my church and I was the only one in that church. I was so happy when I met so many young people in the Christian church in Roseau who were Christians and they also loved the Lord; Dr Sam was one of them. It was such a joy to see other young people singing the songs I knew and praying aloud and giving their testimonies and they were still “groovy.” This was the life I knew and it was a joy to be able to share with other young people my own age.

I remember Dr Sam, during that time I only knew him as "Christian" being very active in the church, caring about the welfare of the other church members and always encouraging someone, making a positive impact on their lives, helping to improve their attitude and outlook on life. He was a true example for the other Christian young people. We all looked up to him.

Today Dr Sam still offers encouraging words, always ready to offer a positive tool to strengthen and build our spirit, always ready to lend a listening ear, always a ready smile, and still serving God. His love for God is evident in his love and care for others. He is a strong example for God; the Godly love in his heart is illustrated by his speech, for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matt 12:34)

He is a true Dominican, who in good conscience is ready to stand up and be counted; he will not shrink from the responsibility to seek a new dawn for Dominica. The faith, the devotion and the energy he brings to this endeavor bears testimony to his national loyalty. He is calling for a Dominica where the Dominican people can prosper, he is calling for a Dominica where the labor of our forefathers will not be in vain, he is calling for a struggle where we put an end to poverty, corruption, and disease, where the government is of the people and for the people. A Dominica where the strong lend a helping hand, the faint at heart are encouraged, and hope in this good land is renewed. He is calling for A Better Dominica!

I challenge every Dominican to come join hands, hearts, and voices; let us renew or make new pledge of support, let us strengthen the weak, bring hope to the hopeless, let begin anew- unite as a people, put aside the problems that so easily divide us and let our words become deeds as we form a new alliance for unity and progress for a better Dominica.

God Bless you Dr Sam, the Dominican people and God Bless Dominica.
 
Anonymous @9:59 am, May 24th----Obviously you don’t know Sam as evident by your response. You seem to be missing one elementary point—DA belongs to Dominicans- I suppose that includes the folks from Guangdong (and other provinces) in China who have found homes and investments on our island.
Dr. Sam’s peaceful Mother’s Day March will be remembered because it is the beginning of the end for all those who think they can do whatever they want because they occupy power and (temporary) support.
Can I set some recent history up for you to illustrate my point? In 1975 Patrick John was the undisputed leader of Dominica- He had a militia- Dominica Defense Force- which was nothing more than the Military Wing of his Labour Party Gov’t. He named himself Colonel and he was ‘in charge’ of our land. He and his finance minister Captain Vic Riviere said that all useless opposition should be eliminated-They were referring to Ms. Charles, DFP and the Civil Service Association Trade Union especially its leader Mr. Charles Saverin-who today is one of the strongest supporters of the Labour Party Gov’t and one of its ministers.
Thirty (30) years ago Mr. Saverin was public enemy number one and hated the Labour party vehemently. He helped bring own the Labour party and exiled it for the next 20 years in the wilderness. So in Politics there are no permanent friends or enemies just permanent interests. Ask Charles Saverin and he will tell that the ‘situa-TION’ today is different- no the situation never changed—just our people making jokes of themselves by putting their hands in fire for politicians like Saverin and Skerrit. Nothing changed except time….
Of course Colonel John had the support of the people-or so he thought- Anybody who opposed him was met with serve pressure and push back----well the next thing you know—Colonel John was in handcuffs heading to the ‘big house’—the state prison overlooking Roseau – the city where he was ‘ in charge of’ Where were his supporters??????? They took off and ran and they ran away from him as fast as they could.
So disagree with Sam but try to respect him because he deserves our respect. He was not inciting
trouble or riot as your Prime Minister stated on the Heng radio show. Legal and political minds would
say that your PM was probably the one inciting riot by appealing to his base—I suppose you are included
Anonymous @9:59 am, May 24th, Sam was speaking for thousands of our people who cannot speak for fear of retribution. Well history has a way of repeating itself you know---.
 
Excellent credentials for Dr. Sam I applaud him greatly. However their are many Dominicans who have likewise achieved such.

Notwithstanding the above, I find Dr. Sam's introduction to Politics left much to be desired.
 
I commend Dr Sam for coming forward in service to country. It takes a man of courage to march in the midst of adversity, it takes a man of strength to rally the people in prayer, it takes a man of Godly vision to put God first in our country. The prayer match was a great success for it gave hope, it gave comfort and gave us as Dominican a collective voice.

Thank you Dr Sam for your leadership, may God grant you wisdom and understand as you seek to restore the voice of a nation, bring rest to the weary, strength for the fainthearted and hope to a people.
 
Building a political party is a process. A party usually takes a couple of election cycles to be formidable. Its not something that happens months before an election (i am sure he know that). If loses election, then what happens? He goes back to medical practice or reside d.a and build party. Maybe even, continue his practice in the u.s and try to build the party in d.a. I am not trying slam the good doctor. But people are wondering how much of a stake does he have in Dominican. It is one thing to be present with the people during their struggles but when you are in distance lands, it is hard to make that connection with the electorate. I am sure the Dr have already worked out his plans. I just hope you are in for the long haul and grueling sacrifices that lie ahead? Just a honest question.
 

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