Another Interesting Man

Must be something I bring when I threaten to sue someone.  I've already met one interesting man that way.  Now, another threatened suit, another pleasant meeting.

Dr. Jose , after we had a meeting where I desired to put some fear of getting sued into him, instead, invited me back for happy hour Friday after 5.  The case resolved (as he said it should) and I did go to that happy hour.

I learned a lot.  First I heard how he and his family escaped from Cuba as political refugees when he was only 6 years old.  They sought sanctuary in Mexico, and had to literally outrun the Mexican police to get to the US Embassy.

When he arrived in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the teachers didn't know what to do with this Spanish speaker and put him with the mentally challenged kids.  In keeping with the American Dream, he made it into the regular school and became captain of the football team, and married his high school sweetheart, the cheerleader.  He and Debbie have now been married nearly 40 years.

Off he went on a football scholarship to a place on the rise, the University of Miami.  At that time, the coach was Lou Saban, uncle of Nick.   During that time, Jose was the suitemate of Jim Kelly, who is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The "U" won the first of 4 national championship thereafter under coach Howard Snellenberger, who was coach his senior year.

On to medical school, where his first son was born in Puerto Rico in dramatic fashion.   (see his book about the experience The Miraculous Infant).  Yes, he's an author also.

Then during his fellowship in Texas, he meets another young doctor who encourages him to come to his hometown of McAllen, TX where there were only 3 gastroenterologists.  A sleepy border town then.  But change was coming to the area, and 2 surgery centers were built.

Back then you had to be a proceduralist to be an investor.  He and his friend were shut out of the existing investors, so they decided to do their own.  With a 10 acre tract of land, they built their own surgery center  in 1997.

As time went by, it combined with the surrounding 20 acre tract to be a start-up hospital which is now Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, employing 3,000 people.

Now, he trains young athletes to get Division 1 sports scholarships,  continues as a full-time doctor, an author, and is part of 14 different businesses.  Quite a journey for a child refugee running for his life toward the door of the US Embassy in Mexico.

I'll tell more about the other interesting man, The Skipper later.   They call him Skipper for his military service in the Vietnam War where he won 2 Purple Hearts.   Right now, Skipper is at his chateau in France for the summer.  You can't make these people up!