THAT'S WHAT HE SAID

A COUNTRY BOY CAN SURVIVE I grew up on a small farm in southern Illinois. We raised grain and livestock, and my parents found lots of chores for me and my four sisters. There was plenty to do year-round—feeding and caring for all the animals—but summertime brought even more with all the farming. We did, however, have help … turns out it was pretty easy to get high school boys to work the farm when you have four beautiful sisters.

A WELCOME

TWIST OF FATE

The opportunity presented itself to purchase three hospital-grade hyperbaric chambers in the Lake Norman area, which I did. The goal was to take them back to California, but when I arrived in Mooresville, I saw a vibrant and growing community that I knew would benefit from and support a hyperbaric facility. I opened Nirvana Hyperbaric Institute in 2020 in Mooresville where we presently live. It is a great community with a lot of diversity, and we love living here.

NOT JUST HORSING

AROUND

I did not marry until I was 52 years old, so I kissed a lot of frog-ettes before I met my princess, Kelly. Originally from Vancouver British Columbia, I met her at Bay Meadows Racetrack in California where she trained thoroughbred racehorses. We just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. Our life has been filled with animals—mostly exracehorses that we acquired from the racetrack to repurpose for another career.

that's what HESaid

DR. ROGER HUNTER OF NIRVANA HYPERBARIC INSTITUTE

SPOILER ALERT: Men and women are different. Ok, so maybe that fact didn’t really surprise you. After all, it’s been 28 years since John Gray popularized the idea that men are from Mars and women are from Venus. And as much as we love sharing women’s stories, we decided it was time to lend the Martians of LKN our ear, too. This month we share the perspectives of Dr. Roger Hunter of Nirvana Hyperbaric Institute.

LIFE’S ADVENTURES My favorite hobby is flying and that is a great way to unwind. I also enjoy sailing, hunting, and skiing. I have traveled extensively. My favorite vacation was a photographic trip to Africa and seeing the amazing animals and the wonderful people there. Believe me when I say there is nothing more hair-raising than a trumpeting, charging elephant!

LOVE WHAT YOU DO AND WORK HARD I have always had a good work ethic that has followed me through my entire life. At 77 I am still going strong. I love my work and I believe in it—hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the best kept secret in medicine. Seeing the results it gives our patients is the most rewarding experience both personally and professionally. Autistic children start to put words together for the first time; a young athlete avoids long-term brain injury after a concussion; a military veteran finds healing for his PTSD and is able to live a fulfilling life … it is all so rewarding, and I am very blessed to be a part of it. w

Dr. Roger Hunter is the owner of Nirvana Hyperbaric Institute located at 146 Medical Park Road, Suite 110, in Mooresville. Roger and his team bring more than 30 years of experience in hyperbaric medicine to Nirvana Lake Norman. For more information or a free consultation, you can reach them at 704.471.4100 or visit www.nirvanahbo.com.