Talking with Christopher Gavigan

n his professional life, Christopher Gavigan serves as the Executive Director/CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World, a nonprofit organization that is "dedicated to protecting the health and well being of children from harmful environmental exposures."

In his personal life, his passion for a healthier future is coming into practice as he waits for the impending birth of his first child.

The Cradle: How did you first get involved with Healthy Child Healthy World?

Christopher: I came to HCHW because my background is in environmental science, and I was doing environmental education on both the private level as well as doing outdoor education fieldwork with teenagers and young adults. I was always drawn to those kids that were behaviorally challenged or emotionally challenged… and so I decided I’d go back to school and get some deeper education in child and family psychology. I always felt like there was a link between how the spaces we lived and the things we put into our bodies related to how our bodies acted, how well kids developed, and how well families really flourished.

So, in coming to Healthy Child, or coming to CHEC at the time, I felt like I found a great professional space. It linked in the credible science, because I am a science geek, with how do you deliver a message to people that they can take in and receive, and also change their behavior. I felt like that was a positive component of the organization because it was very clear, simple messaging: How do you better improve your lifestyle and better improve your family’s health? Through simple behavioral changes and simple habit changes, you really can do that, and the organization was really focused on that.

The Cradle: Did you grow up with a "green" sensibility?

Christopher: My family grew up in New York and Connecticut, and we grew up as average as everyone did. But there were some significant moments. I was always athletic, so I was always interested in nutrition. We lived in rural Connecticut, so I spent 90 percent of my time outside exploring and in the woods… so there was always that sensibility. And I loved camping and being outside with my friends.

The Cradle: How do you feel like your work with HCHW ties in with your impending fatherhood?

Christopher: Well, I think that for me as an impending father, I want the best for my child, I want the best for my family, and I want the best for my wife. So I’m always trying to improve our health and our wellbeing. I take a proactive approach with health, and I really feel like illness can be prevented if you eat well, if you sleep well, if you drink plenty of water, and if you have a happy lifestyle. I think it’s all about balance and moderation. And Healthy Child has really given me a lot of tools and resources that I’ve used personally and professionally to equip myself and my family to be better prepared for being a father, and for having a child in our home.

Everyone thinks of baby-proofing as [just] putting outlet covers on the wall and putting gates up, but baby-proofing also can be taken to the level of "How do I prevent illness and disease from my child?" A lot of illness and diseases that we’re seeing in autism, learning disabilities, behavioral disabilities, cancers, and asthma are all specifically linked to environmental triggers. And I have learned from Healthy Child about those specific hazards or threats and how to reduce it in a non-fear based, non-threatening way. And I don’t have to live in a bubble; I don’t have to turn my house upside down. What Healthy Child really advocates for is if you’re doing something good for your family, for the health of your child, you’re also doing something that’s good for the environment and for the health of the planet. So they are both interconnected. It should be easy, cost-effective, and not difficult to do.