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Aaron Condon: Why men’s health matters as a father

Aaron Condon remembers when he and his wife Mary were pulled aside by a staff member at the adoption agency. They had just begun night classes in 2018 to learn how to become licensed foster parents. Their goal was to someday adopt a group of siblings. Almost as soon as they began exploring, an opportunity presented itself.

They were quickly informed a brother and two sisters were in need of a foster family. The news caught the Condons by surprise. But they were ready.

“There’s no rhyme or reason to the timing,” Aaron said. “You never know when it’s going to happen. We prayed about it and said, ‘Okay, let’s meet the kids.’”

And the rest is history. Over the next several months, the Condons fostered their children, who are now 17, 15 and 8, and the adoption was made official on June 27, 2019.

Today, Aaron is the quintessential family man. His workstation is surrounded with pictures, drawings and heartwarming notes from his kids.

“I have these things on my desk and around the bottom of my monitor because family is very important to me,” Aaron said.

His journey to Novant Health: Aaron’s love for his family is partially what led him to join the team at Novant Health Foundation.

He joined in 2019 with 15 years of experience in managing systems and web technology. After earning his masters’ degree from Winthrop University, he began as a database administrator at Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina. In this role, he grew accustomed to working with donors and alumni and exploring the fundraising world.

Eventually, Aaron and Mary decided they wanted to move to the Winston-Salem area to be closer to family. While looking for a new position, Aaron discovered a business operations specialist role at Novant Health Foundation. When he learned more about the role and interviewed, it clicked right away.

“The position was more high-level, building standards and processes, so we would all be on the same page,” Aaron said. “Getting a team aligned spoke to me. I said, ‘This opportunity was exciting because I would be able to leverage my expertise and further enhance my operational skills.’”

Aaron is happy to be a part of the team. He manages the backend online giving system and helps with reporting, analytics and research while contributing to overall strategy.

How fatherhood has changed him: Going from zero to three kids is a lot of work, but Aaron is the first to say he couldn’t have done it alone. He describes Mary as the backbone of their family.

“Mary has been a strong source of support,” Aaron said. “If it weren’t for her, our faith and our support base, I wouldn’t be where I am, and our kids wouldn’t be where they are either.”

Together, they have worked to provide their children with love, support and stability. Aaron acknowledges transitioning to a new family can be a lot on anyone, and they have connected their family with great support systems. Aaron believes everyone can benefit from talking with a resource, whether it is a therapist, faith leader, friend or family member.

“I knew about behavioral health, but I never really gave it much thought,” Aaron said. “Because we welcomed kids from hard places, I have a greater appreciation for mental well-being. For our employee giving campaign this past year, my donation went to supporting behavioral health.”

Why Men’s Health Month matters to him: As a husband and a father, Aaron makes sure to keep his health a priority. In recent years, he has noticed peers and former high school classmates have passed away, and he knows monitoring his health is essential for him to be there for his family.

“I know I have to take care of myself,” Aaron said. “I have a really good physician assistant at Novant Health, and I work with a registered dietitian nutritionist.”

Individualized care is important to Aaron. Both his providers believe a person can be healthy at any size, and they take a personal approach to treating patients.

“Even though I may carry some weight, I have very few medical issues,” Aaron said. “I’ve had some doctors who automatically look at weight and have assumptions, whereas my physician assistant with Novant Health considers the whole person.”

Family history is an important part of individualized care. Aaron is the spitting image of his father Jay Condon, who passed away unexpectedly on December 15, 2016 from a gastric artery aneurysm. After Jay’s death, doctors advised Aaron and his brother to each undergo an ultrasound to check for the same condition.

“Of course, I was concerned due to my dad and I favoring each other so much in our looks and body type,” Aaron said. “When we got the results back, everything was fine. My doctor did suggest I come back about every 5 years to have an ultrasound, so if there is an issue with my gastric artery, it can be caught ahead of time and repaired.”

And Aaron’s proud to work for an organization that personalizes care to each individual.

“Remarkable care is meeting people where they are,” Aaron said. “Get to know them, and treat the whole person: mind, body and spirit.”