“Pharmacist’s Career Change Brings Father and his Sons into Alignment!” By Lori D. Roberts, The State Newspaper By selling his pharmacy to become a doctor of chiropractic about three decades ago, Dr. Sander Fields filled a prescription that led his sons to follow his professional footsteps. “I’ve thought about this a lot,” said Fields, 64. “I never put any pressure on them to enter chiropractic. I just wanted them to chose careers they would enjoy." “I think my passion for chiropractic, and for helping free people from pain, continually radiated from me.” In 1997, Andrew Fields joined his father in his practice, and in 2001 James Fields completed the family team. “Jamie always said he was going to be a chiropractor,” Sandy Fields said. Andy Fields had said he initially wanted to be a forensic psychologist, but later thought chiropractic might be his niche too! The thought of working closely with family had a huge appeal also. But the story of how this family came to Northeast Columbia is one of purposeful navigation, going from a “bad situation” to a “good situation, Sandy Fields said. From afar, it may not seem so bad, those days in the ‘70s. Sandy Fields was a pharmacist with a thriving business in Michigan. Suzi Fields, his wife of over 39 years was an elementary school teacher. The Fields’ two sons were born that decade, and the family had the financial means to buy a home in a Detroit suburb, drive nice cars, and join a country club. But, Sandy Fields worked a lot. Family time was scarce on week-days, on weekends, and even on holidays. Plus, it got pretty cold in Michigan. “We always had a ‘for sale’ sign in our garage, and we’d put it out every fall,” Sandy Fields said. “As a family, we were always unhappy with the cold weather, and the hours spent behind a pharmacy counter were killing me.” By 1979, Fields had become a chiropractic patient of one of his pharmacy customers. The two developed a friendship, and Fields developed a fascination of chiropractic. That fall, when the ‘for sale’ sign, that neighbors and friends always joked about about, went up, a buyer knocked. The Fields family moved to Spartanburg. Sandy Fields studied at Sherman College of Chiropractic by day and worked in a hospital pharmacy at night and on weekends. Suzi Fields taught school and got a master’s degree in gifted education from Converse College. In 1983, Dr. Sander Fields opened Fields Chiropractic in Columbia. The new career left more time for family dinners, homework and weekend outings, but the sacrifices continued. While Dr. Fields started the business, Suzi and the boys stayed in Spartanburg. For two years, Sandy Fields commuted more that 200 miles to work and back home. “I never missed a day,” he said. In 1985, the whole family moved to Columbia. Suzi Fields began teaching at Windsor Elementary School, and in two years was named Teacher of the Year and one of three finalists for Richland County School District Teacher of the Year. As for the boys, “They grew up in a home and heard me talk about my career for so long,” Fields said. “I always stressed how great it was to be in business for yourself, and how much I enjoyed this profession.” After both sons spent eight years of college obtaining their doctorates in chiropractic, they joined their father in his practice. Seizing the opportunity, Andy Fields said, “We help people biomechanically perform better.” He added, “most people are extremely pleased with the care they get from their chiropractor.”