Support Coyote Hill: Read David’s Story of Hope
Stories of hope and healing define Coyote Hill’s ministry. David Hockman, MD, is now sharing his own story of hope and healing to benefit Coyote Hill’s mission, with 100% of proceeds from his new book, Surgeon Unmasked: A Journey from Shame to Grace, going to Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries.
David has been in the business of healing and restoration for much of his life. In 2003, David began at the Columbia Orthopedic Group in the field of hip and knee replacement surgery. Since then, he has performed 7,500 joint replacements and has also helped numerous patients heal through nonoperative care. Throughout his career, he aimed to glorify God through restoring patient mobility. He retired in 2023.
By all outward appearances, David seems to have the ultimate success story. But in his new book, Surgeon Unmasked: A Journey from Shame to Grace, David reveals that there was much going on behind the scenes as he walked through life.
After growing up in a legalistic church as a child, David experienced long-term effects of anxiety and depression that led him to seek healing for himself. It was at this point that he turned to writing. “The reason for writing the book to begin with was just to know my own story, which is important to find healing and answers to behaviors. You gotta look back,” David said. So, just like one of his surgical instruments, the pen became a tool for healing.
His book covers everything from church hurt, anxiety, and depression to mental and physical illness and spiritual abuse. But David’s story doesn’t end there. “It’s also a story of great hope coming out of that situation through becoming a surgeon, having a successful practice, and a successful family life. Ultimately, the goal of the book is to help anyone with any of those issues,” David described.
David’s vulnerability was inspired by others who were vulnerable with him. But he also saw a need for more stories from those who had overcome suffering. When searching for books on church hurt and spiritual abuse, he found that many resources offered advice, but few offered stories from people openly sharing their own experiences of walking through it. “The grace of going first is so important, and that’s what I hope the book does: provide that to other people, to open up first and hopefully get good conversations from that to help them on their journey,” David said.
David wrote most of the book between 2017 and 2019. “I had shared it with a couple people, and it really seemed to bond us and connect us in a way that made me realize this could help other people,” David said. One of those people was Larry McDaniel, Coyote Hill Co-Founder.
Larry and David originally connected when David was interested in founding a home for human trafficking survivors, so he visited the Coyote Hill community in Harrisburg to learn about the logistics of operating a residential facility. Although David later pivoted from this plan, the meeting sparked a partnership between David and Coyote Hill that continues to this day, with Larry and David’s friendship serving as a backbone of that connection. “David has a great deal of business expertise, social expertise, coupled with a sincere desire for ministry to the least of these,” Larry said.
Larry asked David to join the Coyote Hill board and later to become chairman. Larry immediately noticed that David didn’t ascribe to a hierarchical structure but was passionate about serving those on the front lines of foster care. “He was then, and continues to be, just a most incredible asset and a blessing to the ministry of Coyote Hill and to the children and families in crisis that we serve,” Larry said.
As their friendship grew, David shared a manuscript of his book with Larry. Larry said he was impressed by his bravery in boldly sharing his story with readers. “I remember thinking that he was being very generous, being willing to share such a private and personal struggle in his life so that others would also be encouraged to reach out for help in their own time of need. I know that was not only a very brave thing to do, but a very generous thing to do,” Larry said.
“People need to know they’re not alone. We’re in this world with our human condition, and everybody has their scars. I just think it is amazing to realize that a man as great as David… I say this with all respect… because we look at people sometimes when we don’t know the whole story, and we think they are unattainable. It was amazing, and even encouraging, to know that men like David walked on earth like the rest of us.”
It was Larry’s encouragement, as well as the encouragement of others, that inspired David to publish the book as a resource for others going through struggle, or even for those curious about what it’s like to become a surgeon and build a career in medicine. “If somebody wants to see what it’s like to get into the medical field and become a surgeon, this will be a great book to read, so it covers a lot of bases,” David said.
David finished the book the year after the start of his retirement in 2023, which was brought on early by physical problems, another topic David explores in his book. His career was full of success despite obstacles. “People who are aspiring to be physicians who’ve suffered from mental illness and wonder, ‘Can I have a successful life and deal with this?’ The answer is yes,” David assures.
David gives all glory to God for his ability to write the book and be open with readers. When asked what gave him the courage, David responded, “I would say definitely the grace of God, and a relationship with Jesus Christ that I know is secure, and I know my identity.”
That unwavering faith is something he hopes to share with those who open the book, regardless of what struggle they are facing. “That’s what I would hope, that people can see that they’re not alone, there is hope, and don’t lose faith,”David said.
The book can be purchased locally at Hockman Interiors or ordered on Amazon at https://a.co/d/0eUzet0r. David said his decision to give all proceeds from the book to Coyote Hill was inspired by James 1:27 in the Bible: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
“Being able to partner with Coyote Hill makes me feel like I’m making a difference for children, and I have a heart for suffering children. Having had some suffering that was very mild in comparison to foster care, obviously, but I think this book would be incredibly encouraging to foster children, just to see that there’s always hope in Jesus.”
Author’s Note: This book contains depictions of grief, intimate content, and mental health struggles.
Reader discretion is advised.