By David J. Griffin, Times Reporter
For one generation, he is the only doctor they can remember in Clay City. For others, he is the one doctor they will never forget.
After practicing in Clay City for the past 25 years, Dr. David Gagnon will last see patients on Sept. 30. When asked why he made the decision to close his office, he replied, “I am quitting because I have been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. I am on a trial derived from mold out of the Mayo Clinic. So you can say I am old and moldy!”
Dr. Gagnon is originally from Saratoga, New York. He attended the University of Maine where he received his BA degree in Zoology in 1974 and his MD degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in 1981. He recalled, “My parents said being a doctor was all I ever wanted to do.”
Twenty five years ago, the National Health Service assigned Dr. Gagnon the position in Clay City to assist him in paying off his medical debts. He simply never left.
“I am going to miss my patients tremendously. I delivered many of my younger patients. They have come to me and exposed themselves both mentally and physically, and I hope I have allowed them to retain their dignity. I truly appreciate them for letting me into their lives,” he said with a smile.
Six years ago, Dr. Gagnon was first diagnosed with his cancer and was given a prognosis of approximately five years. “The next time I was evaluated they gave me seven years, and the last time ten years.” He is into his sixth year of cancer treatment.
He further explained, “I am in love with my wife, Marcy, and I have a lot to live for.” He paraphrased the Robert Frost poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” when he said, “I have many miles to go before I lay my head down.”
Dr. Gagnon married Marcy five years ago. With a huge smile on his face, he explained her immediate impact on his life. “I had never ridden a horse until I met my wife. Now we have five horses. We even explored Ireland for a week on horseback.”
Marcy Gagnon is a physical therapist and works out of Estill County. Before that she was in private practice in Richmond. Because Dr. Gagnon is associated with the Clark Regional Medical Center, they reside in the Boonesboro section of Clark County. He has two daughters: Erin, 23, from Louisville, and Brett, 26, who lives in Washington, D.C. He added, “I also have one step-daughter and two step-grandsons.”
Dr. Gagnon leads a very active lifestyle. He has participated in many marathon races and has even walked the entire Appalachian Trail, which stretches 2,160 miles from Katahdin, Maine, to Springer Mountain in Georgia.