NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — To their three children, they're just mom and dad. To Nashville, they're two people changing lives every day. Today, they're sharing a story about working hard and finding your calling.
Step into the game room and parents Lisa and Evelio say you need to know something about the family.
"There's a little competition in the house," Lisa laughed between playing air hockey with her son.
"Lisa used to tell me to let him win," Evelio said while playing pool against one of his sons. "Never!"
"My husband says, 'I'm gonna beat him until I can't anymore,'" Lisa smiled.
"He talks a little smack," said Evelio, smiling at one of his sons. "When he beats me, it's fair and square!"
Their three children: the oldest Lucas, the middle son Dante, and the youngest Maddox.
For mom and dad, all the competition is an encouragement to their sons to be great. After all, excelling is something they do every day. People's lives depend on it.
"They are doctors," said Maddox.
Dr. Evelio Rodriguez is a heart surgeon. Dr. Lisa Bellin is a breast surgeon.
"Breast cancer is a large part of what I do," Dr. Bellin said.
A mom and dad save lives daily out of Ascension Saint Thomas West.
"We're basically saving lives in the chest, front to back," Dr. Bellin continued. "My husband and I were always very fortunate in that we always had a path since we were probably teenagers."
"Today we're going to be doing robotic surgery, and this is the device we use," Dr. Rodriguez said, walking through an operating room. "It's called the Da Vinci Robotic System. We can do valve surgeries. We can also do bypass surgeries using this. We can excise tumors from the heart. In the past year, we've been able to do over 300 surgeries using the Da Vinci System, which makes us the busiest program in the country in terms of robotic cardiac surgery."
The parents of Lucas, Dante, and Maddox do important work.
"I'd say growing up you don't really realize it cause it's so normal," Lucas said.
Today, Lucas is a student at Vanderbilt, Dante is away at Columbia University, and 17-year-old Maddox would love to be a singer/songwriter.
"I can do lyrics and beats," Maddox said.
In a house full of competition, there's also a lot of guidance.
"Our job is to support them in whatever path they want to take and give them the tools for them to get their dreams like Lisa and I were able to achieve," Dr. Rodriguez said.
"I remember growing up with them saying, 'as long as you love what you're doing, then we'll support you,'" said Lucas.
"Find what makes you happy," said Dr. Bellin. "Find what gives you fulfillment. Find what gives you a bigger purpose."
