THE ROAD LESS
TRAVELED
How four generations of Damrow men chose the profession of chiropractic
drive from the place where their grandfather was born, were given an example they simply wanted to follow. “There was no pressure whatsoever,” says Dr. Molly. “And what I would tell students today is to go into it for your heart — not because it will make someone else happy, but because it’s what you want to do.” That passion, bigger than any one person and shared as a common bond not only by the Kings but by everyone Dr. Annie met at Palmer, is what she remembers best about her time as a student. “Students came from across the globe to Palmer, but we were all there for the same reason,” she says. “To become chiropractors and better the world.”
When it comes to the future of the King legacy and
the children who might take the baton, Dr. Annie and Dr. Molly are continuing to lead by example. “There are pictures of me as a kid playing chiropractor,” says Dr. Annie, “and now I see my niece doing that with her mom.” “It would be really neat to see the thread continue, but
who knows?” says Dr. Molly. No matter what happens, the Kings will never forget
where they came from. “Dad was pretty tough on us,” says Dr. Bill. “He wanted chiropractic to be a first-class profession, and he wanted the best of everything. So, we had a lot to live up to.” Dr. Bill looks over to Dr. Joe. “Did we live up to it,
Dr. Joe?” He nods. “I think we did. I think he’d be proud of all of us.”
FROM THE OUTSIDE, John Damrow’s decision to pursue chiropractic — following in his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father’s footsteps — might have seemed inevitable. But to John himself, it was a decision he could only make after exploring his options. Now a fourth-generation student
at Palmer’s Main campus with a work- study position in the Advancement Office, John knows that joining his family’s 108-year-old practice in Janesville, Wisconsin, looks like the next obvious step. But wherever he ends up, it will be by his own path and with his own contribution in hand. “There’s something to be said of the idea that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” John says. “But the chiropractic profession itself developed off an evolving philosophy. We’ve always changed with the science.” Still, he also sees why chiropractic has endured as a fixture in his own family and so many others. “I think it speaks to the truth about chiropractic: It works. People who grew up with it believe it made a difference in their lives, and they want to make that difference in other people’s lives.”
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