"Read about Vivien Thomas, a man who helped save lives"--

In 1944 a groundbreaking operation repaired the congenital heart defect known as blue baby syndrome. The operation's success brought the surgeon Alfred Blalock international fame and paved the way for open-heart surgery. But the technique had been painstakingly developed by Vivien Thomas, Blalock's African American lab assistant, who stood behind Blalock in the operating room to give him step-by-step instructions. The stories of this medical and social breakthrough and the lives of Thomas, Blalock, and their colleague Dr. Helen Taussig are intertwined in this compelling nonfiction narrative.

Visitors to the Blalock Building at the Johns Hopkins University Medical Center are greeted by portraits of two great men. One, of renowned heart surgeon Alfred Blalock, speaks for itself. The other, of highschool graduate Vivien Thomas, is testimony to the incredible genius and determination of the first black man to hold a professional position at one of America's premier medical institutions. Thomas's dreams of attending medical school were dashed when the Depression hit. After spending some time as a carpenter's apprentice, Thomas took what he expected to be a temporary job as a technician in Blalock's lab. The two men soon became partners and together invented the field of cardiac surgery. Partners of the Heart is Thomas's extraordinary autobiography. Trained in laboratory techniques by Alfred Blalock and Joseph W. Beard, Thomas remained Blalock's principal technician and laboratory chief for the rest of Blalock's distinguished career. Thomas very rapidly learned to perform surgery, to do chemical determinations, and to carry out physiologic studies. He became a phenomenal technician and was able to carry out complicated experimental cardiac operations totally unassisted and to devise new ones. In addition to telling Thomas's life story, Partners of the Heart traces the beginnings of modern cardiac surgery, crucial investigations into the nature of shock, and Blalock's methods of training surgeons.

The life story of Vivien Thomas, an African American surgical technician who developed the first procedure used to perform open-heart surgery on children.

Joseph’s story continues in this heart-wrenching young adult novel that grapples with tragedy and coming of age. Joseph’s sophomore year is about to begin, but his new start is a false one. At his father’s request, Joseph moved in with Aunt Shirley, Uncle Todd, and cousin Jasmine over the summer to distance himself from his mother’s drug problems and the dangerous characters she interacts with. But efforts to keep Joseph safe have had tragic results. As Joseph contends with his grief, his mother’s persistent pleas for money, and the distance between himself and his father in Iraq—not to mention schoolwork, making the tennis team, and a new relationship—he’s learning what’s most important to him, and what sacrifices he’ll have to make to become the person he needs to be.

Vivien Thomas was a notable black hero who made a distinguishable mark in this country, and frankly, the world over. He grew up poor. As an adult, he worked as a janitor, yet got noticed by a white surgeon who saw his curiosity, skill, and intelligence. That vision proved successful, as Vivien worked and became familiar with the condition of babies born with Blue Baby Syndrome. Come, read and learn about how Vivien discovered a fix for Blue Baby Syndrome and became a gem to prominent surgeons around the country!

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