Kevin Sullivan, a 43-year-old Overland Park man, has become a doctor after being inspired by his daughter’s health struggles. His daughter, Leighton, was diagnosed with a bacterial E. coli infection at the age of 2, which led to Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome and later cerebral palsy.

A Calling to Medicine

Sullivan’s experience with his daughter’s illness led him to pursue a career in medicine. He enrolled in Johnson County Community College to take science classes and later applied to medical school. Despite initial rejection, he was accepted into the master’s Biomedical Sciences program at Kansas City University, which he believes helped prepare him for medical school.

Sullivan graduated from medical school on May 8 and matched for a dual residency at UMKC and Children’s Mercy in internal medicine and pediatrics. He aims to become a pediatric primary care physician specializing in caring for children with complex medical needs.

Leighton, now 14, requires a wheelchair and a feeding tube and has a nurse with her daily. Despite her condition, she has become stable day-to-day and recently graduated from eighth grade in the Blue Valley School District.

Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.