‘I’ve got lots of stories.’ Doctor killed with family in Rock Hill wrote popular ER book
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Rock Hill mass shooting
A beloved Rock Hill doctor, his wife, grandchildren and a worker were killed in a mass shooting in York County. Former NFL player Phillip Adams died by suicide after being pursued by police as the shooter.
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Editor’s note: This story was originally published by The (Rock Hill) Herald on Nov. 29, 2008. It’s being republished as Dr. Robert Lesslie’s death is under investigation. He was shot and killed at his home in South Carolina, along with four other people, on April 7, 2021. A sixth person was injured.
ORIGINAL STORY FROM 2008
Rock Hill physician shares stories from the ER with readers
Rock Hill physician Robert Lesslie has taken care of thousands of patients in the York County area during his 25 years in practice. Lesslie has spent most of his career caring for folks in nearby emergency rooms.
Over the past 10 years, Lesslie has written down some of the most memorable emergency room experiences. His collection of true stories has been compiled into a book, “Angels in the ER,” released in August by Harvest House Publishers. Now in its fourth printing, the book is available for $11.99 online and at local bookstores.
Lesslie is currently the medical director of Riverview Medical Center in Rock Hill. The Herald recently talked with Lesslie about his book.
What inspired you to share your emergency room experiences in a book?
“I’ve been an observer of human condition as well as a physician. There’s no better place to be an observer than the ER. You find out what people are about. Everybody has something to teach us. I wanted to do this from a spiritual perspective. Once that became clear to me, it wrote itself.”
What are some of your favorite stories and characters from the book?
Lesslie mentions a couple who were traveling through Rock Hill on the way to the beach but stopped in the emergency room. The 60-year-old husband had had a temporary loss of alertness while driving.
“I diagnosed him with an inoperable brain tumor. A huge tumor. I was amazed he was not having more symptoms. Devastating news. It could take his life. They were Christians, and it was a test to their faith. When I came back in the room, they were not upset. The man said, ‘I trust what the Lord has in store for me.’ It was an amazing statement of faith.”
What was your most bizarre encounter in the ER?
“A woman had torn her tongue out because she was convinced spirits were speaking through her.”
Did working in the ER strengthen your faith?
“I never left my faith in the parking lot or at home. In the ER, you’re dealing with significant diseases and life-altering circumstances. Dealing with those and being able to minister to (patients) when you can is an issue of faith.
“The difficult part is loving the unlovable and those that are angry at you for whatever reason. And maintaining that attitude no matter who you come across. We are all God’s children. If you lose that belief in the ER, you can become cynical, disenchanted and mean-spirited. For me, that’s where faith comes in.”
If you hadn’t become a physician, what would you have done?
“Emergency room medicine was a natural fit for me. If I had not gone into emergency medicine, I would have gone into orthopedics. If I had to do something different, I’d love to manage a forest, to be outside. Probably in a mountainous area.”
Who would benefit from reading the book?
“The people who have embraced the book have been a broad spectrum of people. From nurses to people in seminary, and people who want to use it in pastoring classes. When people read this, they can identify with someone in the book. It causes us to look at our inevitable mortality and how we are going to deal with those things.”
The book is now in its fourth printing since it was released in August. Were you surprised by the success of the book?
“Yes, the publishers say this is unusual unless your name is well-known.”
About 50,000 copies of the book have been sold.
Will there be a second book?
“This week I got an e-mail from my editor. They want me to work on a second one — a follow up. After 25 years, I’ve got lots of stories. I’ve got the outline started and wrote a couple of chapters and can have it ready in four months.”
-- Mary Jo Balasco
This story was originally published April 8, 2021 at 11:15 AM with the headline "‘I’ve got lots of stories.’ Doctor killed with family in Rock Hill wrote popular ER book."
