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| Vol. 20, No. 19 |
| October 15, 1998 |
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Remembrances and Reflections . . .
He's one of the finest men I've ever known. We began working together in 1948. It was the beginning of an education for me. Anyone who is around Dr. DeBakey learns. It was very exciting to all of us at Methodist because he developed many new operations and surgical procedures. So many people came to Houston to be treated by him. And, of course, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were here in 1964. That was quite a news story. The Duke was very confident of Dr. DeBakey's skill, and continued coming back to Methodist for check-ups. In addition to the celebrities and heads of state who came to Dr. DeBakey, he had a very large case load - 125 patients or more at any time. He treated all his patients as if they were royalty. - Ted Bowen, CEO of The Methodist Hospital, 1948-1983 When Ted took the Methodist job in 1948, we decided to get married. I had to leave my job in St. Louis where I knew Dr. Ernest DeBakey at Barnes Hospital. In Houston, I needed to find a job, and I heard about Dr. Michael DeBakey, Ernest's brother, coming to chair the department of surgery. I applied for the position as his secretary and he hired me. I was Dr. DeBakey's first secretary in Houston, and it was a great job. - June Bowen
Dr. Michael DeBakey is an American legend because he knows more about hearts, and has done more to strengthen and preserve them - and thus life itself - than anyone in our history. I know from firsthand experience about his extraordinary expertise in cardiovascular disease, but that's just part of the story. He saved my life twice. As my personal physician since 1978, he discovered then that I had an almost fatal abdominal ulcer. Then in 1982 he supervised the double bypass open heart surgery that again spared me. But I'm only one of thousands whose lives he has preserved. He's a great heart doctor because he has such a big one himself, as demonstrated by his lifelong pursuit of better medical treatment of all kinds. In 1970, he joined the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the organization I'm proud to serve as national chairman. He served on MDA's board from 1972 to 1991 and has been an MDA national vice president since then. In a speech at MDA's annual meeting in 1973, he explained his outlook on medical research: "Every medical problem we formerly thought was insoluble becomes soluble at some point in our history, and it will become soluble more readily and more quickly if we make a greater effort." To me, he personifies all the hope, love, striving and achievement that make a legendary American. - Jerry Lewis, National Chairman, Muscular Dystrophy Association There's no question that Dr. Michael E. DeBakey played the key role in putting Baylor College of Medicine on the map of the nation's preeminent medical schools. Baylor's reputation as a leading source of medical and scientific information reflects Dr. DeBakey's lifelong quest for knowledge and his relentless dedication to education, research, and patient care. In the more than 20 years I have known Dr. DeBakey, I have seen students, residents, faculty and staff members, administrators, trustees, and patients turn to Dr. DeBakey time and time again for answers. Given that Dr. DeBakey had read all volumes of his family's encyclopedia by the time he was in high school, it is no wonder he is considered an extraordinarily knowledgeable leader whose opinions are highly valued. An advocate of clinical training and research, Dr. DeBakey was instrumental in establishing Baylor's network of affiliated teaching hospitals. The historic surgical procedures he performed in those hospitals have motivated thousands of students, residents, and physicians to pursue training at Baylor. When Russian President Boris Yeltsin's medical team needed an expert on coronary-bypass surgery a few years ago, they consulted Dr. DeBakey. Houston high school students interested in medicine and science also benefit from the wisdom of Dr. DeBakey, who helped create the first high school dedicated to the health professions. That school is now appropriately named for Dr. DeBakey. It is comforting to know that Dr. DeBakey and his treasure trove of knowledge are part of the Baylor family. I feel honored - and very lucky - to have such a gifted individual not just as the College's chancellor emeritus, but also as my friend. - Ralph D. Feigin, M.D., President, Baylor College of Medicine
He's such an amazing individual. He has the ability to work on many things at once, and yet devote his full energy to each task. And he continues to accomplish important things. Dr. DeBakey's ability to work with people is also behind many of these accomplishments. I think he brings out the best in those of us who work with him. He's an exacting teacher, which is the best kind. Those of us who have worked with him - and I have been with him for 30 years now - have seen the development of cardiovascular surgery. It's difficult to describe the satisfaction of that. And he's a wonder in surgery, working rapidly and confidently. He certainly does bring out the best in all of us who are with him in the OR. - George Noon, M.D., Professor of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine I first met Michael DeBakey in 1968 while working as a reporter for KPRC-TV in Houston. One of my beats was the medical center. It was an ideal time to be in Houston. The Apollo program that would put a man on the moon was rapidly advancing and damaged hearts were being transplanted at the Texas Medical Center. Dr. DeBakey invited me to watch him work in the operating room of The Methodist Hospital. As the patient was being prepared for surgery, an associate told me that not only had most of the instruments on the table been designed by Dr. DeBakey, so had the techniques I would be observing. As he began to work, I noticed his incredibly long fingers and thought he might have made a fine concert pianist. The respect, even awe, in the room was evident. A master was performing. Once, when my wife was a patient at Methodist Hospital, Dr. DeBakey came to see her, though she wasn't his patient. He could not have been nicer. With a crushing schedule, he took the time to visit my wife and boost her spirits. She and I will always be grateful. Dr. DeBakey has occasionally sent me information that has been helpful in my understanding of the debates over managed care and HMO's, national health care and other medical-ethical issues. No one could have a wiser or more experienced adviser. If one sign of a successful life is not just how one lives it, but the reproduction of that life through the lives of others, Michael DeBakey will live on in the thousands he has taught, the uncounted numbers he has healed and the example he has set for future generations of doctors and other caregivers. He has been an example to me of what good medicine looks like. And he is an example of what a good human being looks like, too. -Cal Thomas, Columnist, Los Angeles Times Syndicate
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