Local Health Pioneer Visits Christ School
Dr. Olson Huff responsible for pediatric advancements in western N.C.
Guest speakers in Chapel are a rarity throughout the course of the year at Christ School. Father Kirk Brown made an exception Tuesday morning for a man he called "a dear friend and hero to many in the region."
Dr. Olson Huff shared details of his humble beginnings in the Cumberland Mountains of eastern Kentucky. But more so than filling in his background, Huff's message was of overcoming limitations such as poverty and social traditions.
Huff began practicing pediatric medicine locally back in 1982, and still lives just outside of Asheville in Black Mountain, N.C.
Huff founded the Olson Huff Center for Child Development, and was the first medical director for Mission Children's Hospital, both in Asheville. He was instrumental in the development of health care resources such as Mission's "The Toothbus," which provides mobile dental care to children regardless of their financial situation.
"There is a popular concept going around that adverse childhood experiences limit a child's potential and create a higher potential for violence and drug use," Huff said. "My parents saw a different way out of poverty. We were part of an out-migration (from Kentucky) to a small farm in Indiana. From there, education became the bedrock of what we were about. Wherever you come from, whatever tradition you were born into, whatever limitations there are, there (should be) a desire and need to address where you are going."
Former Governor Bev Purdue once said of Huff, "When the history of children's health care in North Carolina is written, Dr. Huff's picture will be on the front cover."
Huff, himself, has authored three books: "Caring for your newborn: How to enjoy the first 60 days as a new mom," "The Triumphant Child: A practical guide for raising two, three, and four year olds," and "The Window of Childhood: Glimpses of Wonder and Change."
Father Brown pointed out that Huff's message was timely since New York Times best-selling author J.D. Vance will be on campus Monday for a speaking engagement. Vance's memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis," describes the Appalachian values of his upbringing and relates them to the social problems of his hometown. Vance's grandparents were from the same part of Kentucky as Huff's family.
