Black History and National Heart Month
February is not only about Heart awareness- it’s also a month where we stop and recognize incredible men and women of color. In honor of Black History Month I can think of no better person to recognize than Dr. Vivien Thomas, the hidden hands and brain behind the world’s first pediatric cardiac surgery. Before the first pediatric heart surgery was performed at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1944 by Alfred Blalock and Helen Taussig, the heart was considered an untouchable organ. While this medical advance was a game changer in congenital heart defects what is less known is the brain behind the ground breaking endeavor belonged to a brilliant African American man named Vivien Thomas who started out as a surgical research technician to Dr. Blalock at Vanderbilt University. When Blalock moved to Johns Hopkins as their Chief of Surgery, he insisted Thomas be allowed to join him. While that demand was met, Thomas was only granted the role and pay of a janitor since Baltimore was strict...