Wind Beneath My Wings: Dr. Cheryl Holder

By OBOS — April 23, 2009

From 2009 – 2011, Our Bodies Ourselves honored the work of women’s health advocates worldwide by asking readers to nominate their favorite women’s health hero. View all nominees by year: 2009, 2010, 2011

Entrant: Marie Perez

Nominee: Dr. Cheryl Holder, Internal Medicine

Sometimes in our lives, when we most need it, but least expect it, we find the person who we never thought we would find, “Our Hero.” And that is who I met in April 2006 when I suffered a pulmonary embolism, was hospitalized, and sent to a primary physician at the North Dade Health Center in Opa Locka, Florida.

At that present time, I had no money, was living (and still am) in a room in the house of a family member. I was suffering from a bad depression and it got to the point where life had no meaning for me. Until the first day Dr. Holder walked in the examination room and started to treat not just my sickness, but took me under her care. She was an angel sent from above, lifting me up from the bad depression I was going under.

This is a person, a doctor, we all need in our lives.

Her first sad experience was at the age of 12 when she lost her father. Some ambulance attendants decided he was not sick and didn’t bring him to a hospital. Yet, this didn’t make her change her devotion, care and love for medicine and outreach to helping others. On the contrary, she is always developing new programs to help and educate our community.

She developed Project Care (Community AIDS Reduction through Education). She raised more than $350,000 in funding for the Care program. At the North Dade Health Center that had around 16,000 patients, she was the head and successfully managed to pull the system together providing medical care to all of us that have no means.

Another of her many other great merits is F.I.U. School Of Medicine, which opened its doors in 2009. Many people have benefited from her contributions to this program. There are so many other awards and accomplishments that I could list, but it would be endless. Dr. Holder is a person who has no limitations when it comes to reaching out to others, educating, no matter what a person’s race or sex, or even if they have the means for medical assistance or not. She is always there.

Sadly, money comes first in medicine. But medicine is supposed to save lives, give hope, never give up, and fight till the end. That’s why she is a HERO, because she never leaves your side, and I can say that. Why? Because she never left mine. Life had meaning when she became the wind beneath my wings. For this, I have made her a web page and invite those of you who wish to meet my HERO to visit.

13 responses to “Wind Beneath My Wings: Dr. Cheryl Holder”

  1. I am voting for Dr. Cheryl Holder. Her spirit and commitment to patients are extraordinary. Thank you.

  2. Dr. Cheryl Holder has selflessly committed herself to bettering the lives and health of so many people in the Miami/Dade community. She is not only a wonderful physician but also a wonderful person and is more than worthy of such an honor!! She is truly a “health hero” :-)!!

  3. When it comes to other people’s well-being, Dr. Holder has showed a selfless love, unbound compassion, and ardent fervor since her earliest days. We are so fortunate that she chose to devote her life to the healing arts. I am voting for her.

  4. Dr. Holder is truly one of the most committed sincere physicians I have ever worked with. She takes a holistic approach to patient care. All her patients love her and only have positive comments only. I also feel honored when I see some patients in the ER and they mention I remind them of her. What a great mentor and friend!!

  5. Ms Holder is an excellent doctor. She is committed to the medical profession and is an extremely competent and confident doctor. I strongly recommend her.

  6. Dr. Cherly Holder is of that high quality healing fabric that many African Americans doctors, in particular, were made, once upon a time. She has managed in this medical mechanical 15 minutes patient conveyor belt age to keep some of that old fashion healing ethnics. I trained with her at Harlem and studied with her for our internal medicine boards. Caring and healing comes natural to Dr. Holder. She, like most of my resident colleagues from Harlem Hospital, is progressive in that universal health care came natural. We cared for anyone and everyone by all means available. The negatives of managed care, rather capitalist medicine, really have taken the humanity out of the US medical industry. However, Dr. Holder keeps struggling to be simply what she is, a genuine healer with an intense sense of the art of medicine. I vote to support Dr. Holder’s selection.

  7. I have had the distinct pleasure of working along side this brilliant doctor she is caring, humble Energetic, real and has a sincere love for medicine and for the people she serves.She has been my mentor and friend, what an impact she makes on the physicians she works with. I vote to support her selection.really the wind beneath other’s wings

  8. Dr Cheryl Holder is an outstanding hard working physician who has given her best to others including patients and their significant others and staff team members and as a result of her personal touch this community has benefited greatly.
    Black Nurses Miami Chapter, Inc congratulates her nomination and votes for her recognition as a heroe beneath the wings for others. We appreciate this opportunity to honor a dynamic person.

  9. Seems dedicated to African-American students succeeding in the field of medicine and science. I wish her well!

  10. I am voting for Dr Cheryl Holder. Dr Holder exemplifies the true spirit of the new generation of self-less givers in academia, medicine, charitable time-giving and respect for all persons. This award, like the many other accolades she has received, will be well suited for her!

  11. Dr. Holder is a true hero. Did you also know that she goes on mission trips to the Caribbean with our church and volunteers her precious time? She is truly a very giving person and will be blessed.

  12. It is a pleasure to vote for Dr. Holder. How rare it is to find such dedicated and compassionate healers and advocates for the underserved.

  13. Dr. Holder is an absolutely fabulous person as well as a true professional. She is committed to her community and the the health of the community.

Comments are closed.