Saint Francis Strong: Remembering Dr. Phillips As A Surgeon, Philanthropist And Mentor

Doctor Preston Phillips, one of the four victims in the Saint Francis shooting, was more than a talented surgeon.

He was a father, a husband, a friend to many, and someone who spent his entire life giving back to others.

"To give of yourself is a different type of giving, a different type of lesson to be shared," Dr. Phillips said back a few years ago.

Those were words of Dr. Preston Phillips, reflecting on what a medical mission trip in 2018 meant to him.

“Dr Phillips is a very kind guy. We have worked on patients together and it connected us to become a real friend," said Dr. Komi Folly.

Dr. Folly practices internal medicine at St. Francis and instantly clicked with Preston Phillips, an orthopedic surgeon.

Dr. Folly founded nonprofit Light in the World development which organizes lifesaving medical mission trips in his home country of Togo, Africa.

Dr. Phillips went on several trips and transformed thousands of lives.

"When you do things with a good result without being paid, the impact cannot be described," said Dr. Folly.

Dr. Phillips was a graduate of Harvard Medical School.

He loved sports like tennis and golf, and he was a true family man, with a loving wife and three kids.

"This is real, and his absence is heavy,” said Dr. Folly.

Dr. Folly said Phillips became a father figure to orphans he helped in Africa.

Dr. Folly said he’s been back to Africa a few times since and had to break the news.

”I went by myself. And I informed this orphan that he passed," he said. "She cried.”

It’s been a year, but Dr. Folly said this loss and the hole he’s left behind has not been filled.

"There's something different about him, that's how people feel about his sudden departure, that it doesn't feel real," Folly said. "It's been close to a year and this is a difficult moment.”

Dr. Folly said Dr. Phillips would want everyone to be just a little kinder, because it’s the right thing to do.

"I was presented with a question of why would you do this or why should anyone do this?" Dr. Phillips said in the video. "I was reminded I said it was the right thing to do."

Dr. Folly said Dr. Phillips knew a company that helped them get implants or prosthetics for mission trip surgeries and after his death, they still need a new company to step up and help them fulfill more surgeries.