TOMPKINSVILLE — The idea to become a radiologist came to Lynn Thomas after his son, Haden, underwent a liver transplant in 1995. Haden was born with biliary artesia, a disease that affects the liver’s bile ducts.

“We were involved in being at the hospitals a lot, seeing how people took care of him and stuff,” Thomas said. “I always said I wanted to learn how to do that if I got the opportunity. This gave me the chance. So, I’m going to try it and see.”

Thomas donated a portion of his own liver to his then 17-month-old son. He was working for Belden Wire and Cable, a high-speed electronic cable manufacturer in Tompkinsville, at the time. He worked for the company for 20 years before it closed its Tompkinsville manufacturing facility in 2007.

“When they started mentioning about it was going to close ... we tried to figure out what to do,” he said. “At that time, everything else around was closing, laying off. There wasn’t much to do. I’d always wanted to go back to school. I just never did have the chance, or I thought I didn’t have the chance.”

Thomas, along with five of his coworkers, enrolled in MedVance Institute in Cookeville, Tenn., to pursue careers in radiology. Four other former coworkers enrolled in the lab tech program.

“There’s like nine or 10 of us down there,” he said.

The former Belden employees carpooled to Cookeville before beginning their clinical rotations. Now that they have started their clinical rotations they still have to travel quite a distance, but only two of them are doing rotations at the same hospital.

“It’s costing us a fortunate in gas and motel rooms,” he said.

Going back to school hasn’t been easy for Thomas.

“Being out so long, it is hard,” Thomas said. “I really like doing the clinicals, doing the actual thing, doing the Xrays.”

Lynn and his classmates rotate to a different hospital once every nine months. Most of their rotations have been at hospitals in Tennessee.

Going back to school has limited the amount of time Thomas has to spend with his family. In addition to Haden, who is now 13, Thomas and his wife, Nanette, have a daughter, Savannah, who recently graduated from Western Kentucky University.

“It takes all of my free time,” he said. “I don’t have any free time anymore. All we do is study.”

Thomas said he hopes it’s worth the time he has missed with his children.

“If I can get a job, it will be,” he said. “I’ve missed out on a lot of stuff with Haden and Savannah over that.”

Thomas thinks his children understand what he’s going through, especially his daughter, but sometimes his son tries to convince him that he needs to study less and play more.

“He says, ‘Daddy, you’ve got to come with me and let that go,’” Thomas said. “It’s hard to do.”

Thomas began radiology classes in January 2008. He will graduate in January 2010.

Thomas says he is fortunate to have been given the opportunity to go back to school.

“Some have gone back to work and done been laid off again,” he said.

Thomas hopes to land a job either in or near Tompkinsville, but if none are available come graduation time he says it is possible his family will relocate. Where they will go will depend on where a job is.

“I’m hoping to not have to go too far,” he said. “If I can get one in Bowling Green or somewhere, I will probably stay here and try to drive it.”

Thomas hopes once he gets a job, his wife will then have a chance to go back to school.

“I’m hoping if I can get a good job she can go to school be something she wants to be,” he said.

Editor’s note: Lynn Thomas’ daughter Savannah was hired after the completion of this article as an advertising sales representative at the Glasgow Daily Times.