Passing the Chiropractic Torch to Sam Follett
While most kids wrestled with heavy backpacks slung over one shoulder, on his first day of kindergarten, Sam Follett’s bag trailed behind him on wheels.
The sartorial choice made a bold impression at school. During a parent-teacher interview, after learning that Sam’s father, Dr. Randy Follett, was a chiropractor, his teacher smiled and said, “That makes sense. Now I know which [kid] is yours.” The bag may not have fit in the locker, but it was a consistent reminder that good habits start early, especially when musculoskeletal health is top of mind.
“I have very fond memories of hiding out in my dad’s practice with my sister while Mom worked at the front desk and Dad was in the treatment room with a patient,” Sam recalls. “What always struck me as special was when a patient would leave and tell me how kind my dad was—how he gave them their life back.” In Grade 2, he even wrote his dad a letter in French class, explaining how he wanted to be a chiropractor just like him.
Dr. Randy Follett, now in his 26th year of practice in St. John’s, Newfoundland, has built a career on the belief that great care is never a solo act. His patients benefit from a multidisciplinary team, and his leadership roles including serving as Newfoundland’s delegate on the Canadian Chiropractic Association’s national Board of Directors, as well as with the Newfoundland and Labrador Chiropractic Board, the provincial association, and the Business Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. All these positions have been guided by the same conviction: that teamwork creates momentum.
It’s a philosophy that’s left a strong impression at home, too. Today, it would probably come as no surprise to Sam’s kindergarten teacher that he’s studying for his Doctor of Chiropractic at Logan University in Chesterfield, Missouri.
Growing up in a chiropractic household shaped more than Sam’s career path—it shaped his view of the world. “Chiropractic wasn’t simply my dad’s profession, in a way, it became our lifestyle,” he says.
And the decision to pursue chiropractic has opened a new kind of connection between Sam and his father—one filled with group texts about clinic stories, technique questions, and the occasional perfect treatment table photo. “It means evening family FaceTime chats have many tangent conversations about backs and necks,” said Dr. Follett.
“Those calls definitely bring back good memories for [my dad]—his replies are often, ‘Ah, I remember that.’” Although Sam is still early in his training, he’s already thinking ahead to how he’ll bring his own perspective to care. “My dad says I’ll take what I learn and shape it into something that works for me—and more importantly, for my future patients.”
For Dr. Follett, watching Sam follow in his footsteps is “legacy mixed with laughter, purpose, passion, and the incredible privilege of seeing my son carry the chiropractic torch—not just to adjust spines, but to uplift the lives of his future patients.”
Because in their family, chiropractic isn’t just a profession—it’s part of who they are.
“In our home,” Dr. Follett says, “chiropractic is not just in our hands—it’s in our bones.”