Twin Doctors Return to Hometown ER After Overcoming Childhood Poverty

Identical twins Drs. Travan and Travis Jasper have returned to their hometown of Richmond, Virginia, to co-direct the emergency department at Chippenham Hospital. The brothers, who grew up in poverty and experienced hardships such as lacking running water, achieved their childhood ambition to become doctors and now lead the ER where they were once patients.

“To be here, it’s amazing,” Travis Jasper told CBS News. “And I don’t think I could have dreamt it 40-some years ago.”

Their path toward medicine was significantly shaped by a childhood experience when their uncle was hospitalized. The twins, then 12 years old, were frightened by the situation and sought comfort from the doctor, but found him dismissive. This encounter, coupled with their own struggles with food insecurity and lack of basic amenities like running water, fueled a determination to pursue a different path in healthcare. "We talked about it out in the hallway,” Travan Jasper recalled, referring to a pact they made to provide better care than they witnessed. "And I think we have."

The Jasper twins excelled academically, graduating as co-valedictorians of their high school. They went on to attend Stanford for their undergraduate studies and the University of Chicago for medical school. After years of professional experience, they have now returned to Richmond to lead the emergency department at Chippenham.

"I think all of the stuff that we went through, all of the negative days, made us who we are now," Travis Jasper reflected. Their journey from challenging circumstances to leadership roles in their community highlights a significant personal and professional achievement.