328 Appendices ABOUT THE AUTHOR Laurens Donald Eeftinck Schattenkerk, born in 1993 in Deventer, grew up in the quiet village of Epse as the middle child with his brothers Tim and Robert. There, the biggest daily adventure was a long bike ride with his friend Len and the gang, winding through endless fields to reach the Baudartius in Zutphen or the hockey fields in Deventer. Those frosty commutes—and the friendships forged on and off the field—instilled in Laurens the value of teamwork, optimism, and the occasional necessity of simply pushing through. Balancing his days between two cities became his first taste of a lifelong quest to make the most out of every day. Surrounded by a family of doctors—his father, Marinus, a surgeon in Deventer, and his mother, Harma, an anaesthesiologist in Zwolle—Laurens seemed destined to follow in their footsteps. Yet, predictability didn’t sit well with him, nor did the idea of joining H.E.B.E., the old student association which had housed many family members before him. In classic teenage rebellion, he veered into Biomedical Sciences, hoping it would be distant enough from the operating room. But a reality check (and maybe some genetic nudges) soon brought Laurens full circle. He eventually dove into medicine at VU Amsterdam and, yes, joined H.E.B.E.— introducing him to new experiences and lasting friendships. Laurens found his niche in pediatric surgery, captivated by the challenges of surgery and the resilience of young patients. In 2016, he reached out to Lideke van der Steeg and Marieke Witvliet at the pediatric surgery department, who welcomed him into their team with a research opportunity, followed by a clinical internship in 2018 and a fulfilling project in Paramaribo under the mentorship of Marie-Louise Loos and Roel Bakx. This path led to a PhD supervised by Ernst van Heurn, Joep Derikx, Wouter de Jonge, and Gijs Musters. Balancing research with his love for the outdoors, Laurens mixed ski touring, hockey and ice skating with publishing papers and finishing a master’s in Epidemiology. Though a career in pediatric surgery remains on his radar, internships at Kasr Al Ayni Hospital in Cairo and St. Francis Hospital in Mutolore, Uganda, inspired Laurens to first pursue a specialization in global health and tropical medicine. These internships broadened his perspective, underscoring the importance of a holistic view of medicine and health but also the value of broad-based training as a physician. They also impressed upon him the need for doctors to speak up and advocate for healthcare improvements worldwide. After a year of surgical residency at OLVG West, Laurens began his specialization, which took him to Almelo for a year of surgical training before bringing him to The Hague, where he’s currently immersed in gynaecology at Haga Hospital. This has gotten him close to the beach which he often enjoys with his girlfriend, Emma Quist. As for what’s next, Laurens has no fixed destination in mind—only the hope that his drive for new challenges, curiosity, and connections will keep him engaged and exploring, wherever that may take him.
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