At the age of 13, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, who has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for the position of surgeon general, inadvertently caused a firearm to discharge, resulting in the tragic fatal shooting of her father.
The complete details surrounding the 1990 tragedy, which Nesheiwat had previously only partially shared, were disclosed in a report by the New York Times on Friday.
She has credited this heartbreaking event as her motivation to enter the field of medicine, although she did not directly mention her involvement in the incident, according to the newspaper’s account.
“At the age of 13, I stood by helplessly as my beloved father succumbed to an accident, with blood everywhere,” the introduction to her upcoming memoir states. “I was unable to save him. This marked the beginning of my quest in life to pursue a career as a physician.”
The Times indicated that Nesheiwat does not elaborate on how her father, a 44-year-old chemist, passed away across the subsequent 260 pages of her memoir.
According to police records accessed by the Times, in February 1990 at their family residence in Florida, a teenage Nesheiwat was searching for scissors stored in a tacklebox positioned on a shelf above her father’s bed one morning.
She inadvertently toppled the box, causing a .380 caliber handgun to fall out, which discharged and struck him in the head while he was asleep. He succumbed to his injuries the following day in an Orlando hospital.
“Something dropped out, and there was an explosive sound,” she recounted to the police. “I noticed blood on my father’s ear.” Authorities categorized it as a “freak accident.” After fetching a towel and some ice for her father’s wound, she contacted law enforcement.
Nesheiwat has often pointed to her father’s death and her mother’s work as a pediatric nurse as significant influences in her decision to pursue a career in medicine.
She did not respond to inquiries from the Times. Meanwhile, Trump’s transition team did not provide an immediate comment when approached by the Daily Beast.
“As noted in her book, she chose to become a physician due to her father’s unfortunate and accidental death,” the Trump transition team told the publication. “Her commitment to saving lives stems from that experience, which is precisely why President Trump has nominated Dr. Nesheiwat as our next Surgeon General. She and her family deeply miss their father and hope he feels proud of them.”
Nesheiwat’s experience in hands-on medicine, including her service in urgent care facilities across New York and New Jersey, contributed to earning Trump’s endorsement for the role. Additionally, her older sister Julia has served as a former homeland security advisor to the president-elect.
Julia is married to House Representative Michael Waltz (R-FL), who has been named by Trump as his national security adviser.
Her younger sister, Jaclyn, previously worked as a fashion model and is married to Scott Stapp, the lead vocalist of the rock band Creed.
In addition, Nesheiwat is a former contributor to Fox News, similar to several other of Trump’s anticipated nominees and appointees.
“Dr. Nesheiwat will be instrumental in MAKING AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN!” Trump declared in a statement announcing his decision to appoint her to lead the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
Earlier this year, the sitting surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, classified gun violence as a public health crisis.
It remains uncertain whether Nesheiwat will advocate for this issue if she receives confirmation.
