Happy Canyon neighbor and neurosurgeon
Dr. Brad Duhon is the director of neurosurgery and chief of surgery at Castle Rock Adventist Hospital. He and his family moved to Happy Canyon in 2013 and have been adjusting to their new rural surroundings with humor and gratitude.
By Elizabeth Wood West; photo courtesy of Deborah Duhon
Duhon said, “When we were moving, a good friend of mine pulled into our driveway with eyes wide yelling, ‘There’s a bear in front of your house!’ We asked around, and sure enough, he was right. We have seen the bear, foxes, bobcats, deer, and a few porcupines. On our first trash pick-up day, I brought out our cans the night before as I’ve always done – bad idea. Our cans were pretty beaten up and there was trash everywhere.”
Duhon, a Texas native, is a graduate from Texas A & M University and received his medical degree from the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center with honors. He met his wife, Debbie, while completing his neurosurgical residency at the University of Utah. They returned to Texas to join a private neurosurgery group, but found they missed the west. Duhon said, “We left Texas to escape the heat and humidity. My wife and I enjoy the mountains and the outdoor life that comes with living so close to them. Colorado offered the most of the things that we love, in addition to the opportunity to join a well-respected neurosurgeon as partner.”
Duhon credits the orthopedic surgeon that treated him in seventh grade, after breaking his arm playing football, for inspiring him to become a surgeon. “The orthopedic surgeon who treated me was the most influential person in my life (outside of my parents.) He was a gentleman and treated me as an equal, and I decided that I wanted to be just like him. As I worked my way through medical school, I decided that I preferred taking care of the critically ill and changed to neurosurgery,” said Duhon.
Years later, Duhon continues to be inspired and said, “We evaluate a patient in the hospital with a life-threatening head injury and perform emergency surgery; when I see them back in the clinic months later and they are working towards returning to their normal lives – it’s hard to beat that. A more common scenario is the person with long-standing and progressive back, neck, or extremity pain from spinal pathology. To provide a surgery or intervention that relieves symptoms for the first time in years is incredibly gratifying,” he said.
Duhon enjoys his new home and its convenient access to both Parker and Castle Rock Adventist Hospitals. “We’ve fallen in love with the community and look forward to growing a long-standing practice here,” said Duhon.
