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Doctor finds new ways to reach mountaintop
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An achievement-oriented Murphys physician learned from his son that the best way to the top of a mountain isn’t always the fastest.
Dr. Ryan Thompson, a family practice physician in Calaveras County for more than two decades, said a mutual love for the outdoors helped him bond with his autistic son, Mitch, who also was his inspiration for opening Mind Matters in Murphys, the area’s only nonprofit treatment center for diagnosing and treating autism, ADHD and other learning disorders. Thompson, who has reached the summits of more than 50 peaks including Mount Rainier, Mount Shasta and much of the Sierra range, said he started hiking at a young age while growing up in Santa Barbara. “Mountains have always been a place I can go to be restored,” he said. “I feel at peace in the mountains.” Thompson thought sharing his appreciation for the outdoors would be a way to connect with Mitch and his other children, Emily and Jared. “I used to tell my kids we were going on an adventure or exploring,” he said. Mitch liked to wander, investigate and go down paths different than those Thompson said he would normally take. “In the past, for me, it was really about finding the fastest way to the top,” Thompson said. “But in climbing with Mitch, I had to do it in a different way, and I was perfectly content with that.” Thompson said forcing someone with autism or ADHD to try something is difficult, so he enjoyed finding an activity they could share. “If he’s happy climbing with me, then I’m going to be a lot more happy at the end of the day,” Thompson said. Thompson said he and his wife, Kim, began noticing Mitch was experiencing learning difficulties when he was in first-grade. Social problems then began appearing at 8 years old. Many doctors and specialists were initially unable to determine the root of Mitch’s challenges, but he was eventually diagnosed with both autism and ADHD. “People will look at a very narrow piece of Mitch and don’t put the whole thing together,” Thompson said. The difficulty the couple had getting Mitch diagnosed also spurred them to develop Mind Matters clinic, which they opened in July 2007. The nonprofit clinic, at 150 Big Trees Road, is one of the only places in the area where individuals struggling with brain disorders and learning disabilities can go for diagnosis and treatment. “The whole place is designed for kids with these struggles,” he said. “We don’t see these kids as having a problem but someone we can help.” Mind Matters also offers programs where parents and families can go for support and guidance. “Half of what I do is medical, the other half is just being there,” he said. Thompson’s daughter, Emily, 23, now works at the clinic helping kids learn basic language skills, while Mitch lives in Monterey, where he is enrolled in a program for autistic adults at Monterey Peninsula College. Thompson said his many years of experience in medicine has given him the tools to help other families in the area raising children with brain disorders and disabilities, but he didn’t envision himself as a doctor when he was young. Most of the men in Thompson’s family traditionally led careers in construction, but he was always more into science, he said. Thompson first became interested in pursuing a career in medicine when he got involved with Amigos de las Americas, or AMIGOS, as a high school student. AMIGOS is a nonprofit, international organization that takes high school and college students on community service trips to Latin American countries. Thompson’s first trip with the organization was to Nicaragua in 1974, where he volunteered for public health programs that promoted immunization, sanitation, dental and nutritional education. “Until I got involved with that, I was like a lot of high school kids and didn’t have a vision for myself,” he said. This year, Thompson’s youngest son, Jared, 17, followed in his father’s footsteps and went on his first trip with AMIGOS. Thompson kept volunteering with AMIGOS each year throughout college before enrolling at Chicago Medical School, where he graduated in 1985. He met his wife, Kim, on a bus ride to do a medical rotation in Stanford. “From there it was history,” he said. “She flew to Chicago and then drove across the country with me.” Thompson completed his residency in Long Beach, then he and his wife began searching the Western United States for a place to call home. The couple finally set their sights on Murphys, where they’ve lived ever since. “We enjoyed the small community feel, it seemed like a great place to raise a family,” he said. “And of course, I loved being close to the mountains.” Thompson still goes for frequent hikes in the Sierra on the weekends, but his mindset is different than before he started climbing with Mitch. “Now I find alternate ways to the top,” he said. |
