Stargazer: Dr. Lisa Merritt
Imagine struggling to breathe so much that you can’t sleep. When Lisa Merritt was growing up in New York, some nights were like that because of her severe asthma. Her family doctor would come over and give her a shot to help her breathe. He also sparked her interest in health care.
"I had family members who had health challenges, and I always wanted to know how I might be able to help them," says Dr. Lisa Merritt.
When she was in her teens, Lisa’s asthma eased up, and she leapt into gymnastics. Then she grew seven inches in one year! This changed her balance, so she started a girls’ track team at school. When she wasn’t working out, Lisa loved learning. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a medical degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Lisa saw how often patients of color and non-English speakers got less respect and attention from doctors. She started the Multicultural Health Institute in 1995 to offer services and education. During the pandemic, her group fed thousands of people and fought for fair access to vaccines. They also help with hurricane relief. Lisa and her daughter, Amara, live in Florida.
Q: What’s one of your favorite childhood memories?
Spending my summers in Jamaica with my grandmother and my family … I had such a sense of freedom. I could climb coconut trees, pick fresh coconuts and mangoes and avocados … They taught me how to free dive and spearfish. I just would be in the water for hours.
At age 15, Lisa loved taking pictures and exploring photography techniques. She still enjoys photography today.
Q: What was the most challenging experience for you as a kid?
My parents’ divorce. I was 13 ... there was a lot of tension and strife and … uncertainty. I was relieved because I didn’t like seeing them fight. It made me very sad. How I dealt with it was I got into athletics and … photography … being outside.
Q: What experience from your youth set you on the path to your career?
I had pretty severe childhood asthma, and we had a family doctor … He used to make house calls … [he was] encouraging me and taking care of me … When his daughter and I would want to get together … I loved to go to her house and help with the chores, because that meant we were cleaning his office, which was in the basement of his house. [While] cleaning the office, [we were] playing with the [medical] stuff … I always had a fascination [with] what all was inside your body … I had family members who had health challenges, and I always wanted to know how I might be able to help them ... I pretty much knew this by the time I was about 11 or 12.
When Lisa graduated from 9th grade at age 14, both of her grandmothers celebrated with her.
Q. What does a physiatrist do? Why did you choose that specialty?
What I love about it is it’s a field that treats the entire person and the entire life span. We deal with children … and the very old and the issues they have. And it’s a combination of orthopedic medicine, which [looks at] bones, joints, and muscles, and neurology, which has to do with nerves and the nervous system, the brain, the spinal cord. [We’re also] well versed in internal medicine, things that affect the heart, lungs, kidneys … I’m a traumatic brain injury specialist.
Q: What is the Multicultural Health Institute and what inspired it?
[It] is a not-for-profit that I actually conceived of [when] … I began to see the effects of health disparities and inequities [for people of color] … I felt it was important that people be educated to understand their health conditions ... We do outreach … sign people up for services, do screenings, teach them what to do.
The door of Lisa’s office at the Multicultural Health Institute (MHI) shows her love of art. The office is decorated to feel like a home to put patients at ease.
Q: What should kids know about hurricanes and other disasters?
When bad things happen, the good people, the helpers come … You have to walk in faith, and you have to believe in the possibility of good. Let’s not give in to fear … There’s lots of information on the kind of things you should have ready … If you’re prepared, then when things happen, it’s a little less difficult [and] scary … Also, remember there’s strength in unity—knowing and helping your neighbors …
Q: What can kids do to stay healthy in body, mind, and spirit?
To stay healthy in the body, move it … Go outside and play, ride a bike, run, roller skate, do stuff … [For your] mind, cherish your friendships … don’t engage in backbiting [and other] negative stuff … Don’t just be a sunshine friend—be around when it’s hard … And with spirit, it’s prayer … Give thanks, and if you live in service … then your life is a prayer …
Lisa and Amara Merritt’s strong bond has deepened as they learn to cope with Amara’s rare form of cancer. “She’s my hero,” says Lisa.
Q: What’s your advice for kids who want to pursue a career in healthcare?
Hold fast to your own dreams and seek those who will support you in achieving them. Study hard. Learn as much as you can about it. Talk to people in the field if you can. Go visit with them in their work. See what it looks like … And understand that there are so many possibilities …
Q: If you had one wish for Brilliant Star’s readers, what would it be?
For them to really understand their own power to bring about change … Never lose hope … young people can change the world … Just become the best of whoever they are and work together in unity to make it better ... When you feel sad, fill your heart and mind with positive things … Read the stories, read Brilliant Star. Bring beauty into the world.
Photos: Portrait and family photo by Barbara Banks, graduation by Eleanor Merritt, Dr. Merritt with art by Stephanie Colombini, courtesy of WUSF
Bahá’í Faith542 Medicine7 Physicians3 Pandemic23 Racial Justice4 Health91 STEM268 Service305 Race Unity223 Challenges257 Equity4 Stargazers94 ScienceReligion24