Black & White Working Together To Save the World!

DIFFERENT RACES WORKING TOGETHER: GREAT THINGS WE CAN DO!

I wish in America, we could all just pull together. What glorious things we could do. I want to tell you a story. It is the story of a white doctor and a black man who dreamed of being a doctor. Their lives crossed paths at a time in our history when there was deep prejudice and segregation.

Dr. Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas crossed paths in 1930 in a time of economic depression in America. They met first in Nashville. Vivien, (an African American) takes a job in the lab of Dr. Blalock working mainly as a janitor. As time passes Dr. Blalock notices the intelligence of Vivien. From mutual respect and admiration grows a deep friendship. They do great things together doing medical research.

Dr. Blalock soon moves to John Hopkins Hospital in Boston, one of the Nation's premier research hospitals. Dr. Blalock insists they allow Vivien to come and work with him. However, at a time segregation, Vivien has to enter in at the back of the hospital in the janitors entrance.

They will work side by side doing great research and Vivien will learn and grow. He reads all the medical books he can get his hands on. He asks Dr. Blalock a million questions and he is a quick learner. In fact time will prove, that both men were absolute geniuses.

They work long hours and bounce ideas off each other. Finally, they work together in the surgery room to perform the first open heart surgery in the world. Its on a small baby. The baby will soon die without help. Dr. Blalock and Vivien saved the child's life and introduced to the world, OPEN HEART SURGERY.

Vivien was not a licensed surgeon. However, he had all the knowledge of a true medical professional. Vivien would stand on a stool and looking down on Dr. Blalock, and would give him assurance and guidance. Dr. Blalock was heard to say, again, and again, "Vivien, are you there?" and Vivien would reply, "Yes Doctor, I am here".

Vivien did not receive the honor he deserved at first. However, the day would come, when the great medical world of John Hopkins would stand and give him a thunderous applause, a honorary Ph.D degree, and hang his portrait by the side of Dr. Blalock in the hall of fame at John Hopkins.

Millions of lives all over the world have been saved due to what Dr. Blalock and Vivien did at John Hopkins in 1944. Previous to this the team had worked on shock treatment and discovered procedures that saved an untold number of lives and paved the way for advanced treatment in shock, used today to save lives.

Here we have a white man and a black man. The black man working in times of deep racial prejudice. Together, these two men worked side by side to achieve the impossible. Their success paved the way for millions to live.

If you have had open heart surgery, or if someone you love has had such surgery. It is due to  the great achievements of a white man and black man working side by side to better the world. Many a white man who hated black men,  has been saved on the surgery table because of the work this white man and black man  did together.  . Many a black man who hated white men has likewise been saved because of the work of this white man and black man.

Today, the genius that is the white race and the black race is remarkable. If we pull together we can once again, do amazing things! Let all races of men work together to make a better world.

Here is a few links to tell you more of this exciting story.

http://greathistory.com/the-janitor-who-supervised-the-worlds-first-heart-surgery-part-i.htm

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/stlm/history.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUfOvjNTM2M