my natural hair and I can still be a doctor and take care of you ,” she said . “ I show up as I am , and that ’ s not unprofessional . It ’ s just our culture , and our culture is okay . You can still succeed in life in that way . It ’ s so cool to see little girls be so enamored by that .”
While she loves setting the example for young girls , she also works to set an example for young boys – two in particular , her sons . Her 6-year-old , Khi , is on the autism spectrum and she describes him as the most loving little kid . He loves running and being outside and is constantly smiling . Karter is 4-years-old and loves space ( the solar eclipse was a highlight for him ) and his room is fully decorated with constellations and a telescope . She said both are complete momma ’ s boys and she can often be seen with one kid hanging off the top half of her body with the other on the bottom half . Life as a single mom can be challenging at times and brings out new perspectives and considerations , she said .
“ It changes how I move throughout life and makes me think about financial planning and end of life planning , especially with Khi . What happens to him when something happens to me changes how I think about life . Some days it ’ s really hard , but the good days absolutely outweigh the bad ,” she said . “ I try to spend as much time as I can with them , no matter how tired I am . I give so much to work , but I don ’ t want to give so much to work that I don ’ t have anything to give them . It ’ s my most important and my most favorite job .”
In that job , she ’ s always had the unwavering support of her parents by her side . Her mother , Rachel Spence , lives in Louisville now and helps with the boys whenever they need her . From school pickup to parent-teacher conferences , she ’ s there in a pinch . While now a grandparent , she is also still very much a mom , too .
“ She can see when I ’ m having a bad day and is there to make it better . If I go to a medical conference , sometimes she ’ ll come with me just because she knows my mind will be so all over the place . I ’ m so grateful for her because I wouldn ’ t be able to do nearly what I do without her .”
Her dad , Alvin Spence , still lives in Southern Illinois , but is never far away when she needs him and serves as a calming presence in her life .
“ He can sense when I ’ m overwhelmed and will come play with the boys and keep them busy while I take a step back and relax ,” she said . “ My dad actually took me to all of my residency interviews because I was pregnant , and he didn ’ t want me on the road or flying alone . He didn ’ t understand what residency was or why I was doing all of these interviews , but he supported me without question . I understand my privilege and blessing to have them because I just couldn ’ t do it if I didn ’ t have them .”
As a young doctor , she ’ s still trying to figure out a work life balance but is learning to prioritize breaks and vacations more . She loves travelling , especially to the Caribbean ( her vacation requirements are relaxation , no schedule or agenda , and warm weather ). When she ’ s home , she can ’ t get enough of her Peloton and is an avid reader . Recently switching to Audible for the sake of time , she typically gets through two books a week , mostly fantasy fiction . As a relatively new Louisvillian , she ’ s immersing herself in the culture : supporting women ’ s sports like Racing Louisville and UofL women ’ s basketball and trying out new bourbon distilleries .
More than medicine , Dr . Etheridge ’ s passion for social justice and advocacy shines through in her work . “ I feel like I get so much more from being their doctor than they get from being my patient . It has been and continues to be the honor of my life to do this work .”
She ’ s becoming someone her childhood self would be proud to look up to .
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The Michelle P . Waiver is a home and community-based waiver from Kentucky Medicaid , developed as an alternative to institutional care for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities .
Kathryn Vance is the Communications and Event Coordinator at the Greater Louisville Medical Society .
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