Methodist Doctor and His Wife Lead by Example, Inspire Their Children

“When we go to work with our dad, we see so many sick patients who need help,” Claire said.

Their dad is Andrew Coughlin, MD, a head and neck surgical oncologist at Methodist. He and his wife, Jennifer, are grateful to see their children demonstrating concern for others.

“It’s good to see that they’re interested in being involved in the community and seeing beyond themselves,” Dr. Coughlin said. “It’s about understanding the bigger picture.”

The idea to give sprang from another family’s birthday donation to a nonprofit organization.

“The kids really enjoyed that,” Dr. Coughlin said. “They wanted to do something similar for their birthday and were adamant about Methodist.”

The kids’ gift will benefit the expansion and renovation of Methodist Hospital’s Emergency Department. For mom and dad, it’s another sign that Claire and Lucas are “going in the right direction” and that lessons taught at home and school are resonating.

“We talk a lot about being helpful to other people,” Jennifer said. “Why not share with others when you can?”

The proud parents lead by example. They believe in Methodist’s mission and want to ensure that it continues for future generations. They’ve included the Foundation in their estate plans.

“We take a close look at the important things in our lives,” Dr. Coughlin said. “If something happened to us today, where would we want our money to go? Certainly, Methodist is a huge part of our family.”

Jennifer added: “I think it’s important to give when you can because you never know when you might be the one needing to ask for help.”

Lucas said the decision to give instead of receive for his eighth birthday was “medium hard,” but he and his sister have no regrets. “It feels good to help people who are sick,” he said.