To CMC’s Families,
I became a pediatrician because of my pediatrician. Dr. Mary Margaret McLeod of Sanford, North Carolina, introduced me to medicine, and when I completed my first pediatric rotation in medical school, I knew I had found my way.
After residency, I was considering a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases, but when Jules Amer and Jay Markson asked me if I was interested in joining Children’s Medical Center 31 years ago, I knew the opportunity was too good to pass up. I had come to the proverbial fork in the road, so I took it. After marrying my wife, Michele, and raising two amazing sons together, coming to CMC was the best decision of my life.
I had not only joined the most wonderful pediatric office in Denver, but I had joined a whole new family, surrounded by newborns, children, young adults, and their parents (many of whom had been CMC patients themselves). You welcomed me, trusted me, and shared your joy and pain with me. To parents and pediatricians, our children are everything. We put so much of ourselves into their care that the tears of joy and sorrow that life brings are some of the strongest we will ever feel. For sharing this with me, I am forever grateful.
I have now been at CMC for more than half of my years, and it has been the most extremely rewarding and gratifying time of my life. As I enter my next chapter, I have made the difficult decision to retire from CMC at the end of 2026. Rest assured that your family will continue to receive the highest level of care from my eminently qualified partners, who will carry on the nearly 80-year tradition of Children’s Medical Center.
I am humbled and honored to have been a part of your story at CMC. You have all given me so many memories that I will keep in my heart forever. In the future, I hope we meet again, hiking or biking in our Colorado mountains, or back in the office, visiting my CMC Family.
Dr. Spero
