Born to Lebanese Maronite parents, this second generation Arab American, nee Michel Dabaghi, is perhaps best known for his innovative contributions to the medical community, like bypass surgery and the introduction of around 70 medical devices and instruments.
Dying this past Friday at age 99, DeBakey outlived two of his sons. A colleague at Baylor, Dr. William T. Butler, called the near-centenarian, “maestro of cardiovascular surgery” in regards to his visionary actions and ideas in the medical field.
At age 23, while still in medical school, he invented the roller pump (back in 1932 folks!).
AND, he was primarily responsible for the success of a beloved American dramedy series: MASH
His revolutionary medical tactics during his service in WWII resulted in the development of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, MASH, which he was awarded a Legion of Merit in 1945 for developing.
In the decades that followed, he was appointed president of Baylor College (1969), presented the Medal of Freedom with Distinction (1969), inducted into the Healthcare Hall of Fame (1996), received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the UN in 1999, in 2000 he was both cited as a Living Legend by U.S. Library of Congress and named honorary member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
And the honors even continued on to this year. Last April DeBakey received the Congressional Gold Medal from George W. Bush. As my father pointed out, there was no mention of his ethnic background, but as soon as the acclaimed heart surgeon hit the stage, the first words of his mouth were “Being born to Lebanese parents…”
This man’s list of accomplishments is too long for any sort of obituary to do justice-the man not only lived close to a century, but he cultivated every minute of it by giving back. From treatment of “penniless peasants from the Third World to famous figures,” (the likes of JFK, King Hussein, Nixon, Boris Yeltsin, etc) for DeBakey, the heart of the matter meant treating the heart, regardless of bank account size of the person attached to that heart.
Related posts:
- The Most Famous Doctor
- Remembering Qana
- R.I.P. George Carlin (1937 – 2008)
- Warmongers Who Never Served
- Remembering Lebanon
You mean there was once a generation of American Arabs that assimilated, loved this country and served it?
Traitors! Sellouts! Collaborators!
Posted by Anonymous | July 18, 2008, 12:07 pmI haven’t looked at the CIA World Factbook in years, and just took a peek…
Take a look at these economic numbers:
West Bank/Gaza:
-GDP (purchasing power parity): $5.034 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
GDP – real growth rate: -8% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
GDP – per capita (PPP): $1,100 (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
Israel:
-GDP (purchasing power parity): $185.9 billion (2007 est.)
-GDP – real growth rate: 5.3% (2007 est.)
-GDP – per capita (PPP): $25,800 (2007 est.)
These numbers indicate that Israel’s economy is expected to grow by $9.85 Billion this year, or almost DOUBLE the ENTIRE size of the West Bank/Gaza economy, not counting for a -8% growth rate for the Palestinians!!!
Only a moron could look at these numbers and say that the Palestinians have made smart choices about how to invest their national capital the past decade. Yet, Hamas keeps building rockets and ak Aqsa still manufactures bomb belts. This people are on the verge of self destruction.
Posted by Mitch | July 20, 2008, 6:34 pmOMG LOLZZZZ
Only a moron could look at these numbers and deduce what you just did. Israel occupies the West Bank and Gaza. Thats why those territories face economic devastation.
Posted by Mohammad | July 22, 2008, 7:35 amPalestinian economy was going great until second intifada. Even Abbas acknowledged it was a mistake to start a war that destroyed the livelihood of the Palestinians.
Furthermore, anyone attempting to do business in West Bank today knows how difficult it is. You need to bribe ten different PA people just to get the right permits, licenses, export papers. Half the economy is monopolized into PA controlled corporations that snuff out any competition. And that’s all before repeating the process with the Israeli side.
Posted by Anonymous | July 22, 2008, 8:47 amIn criticizing the Palestinians, you blame the corruption of their Israeli backed Authority. Then you quote the leader of this corrupt outfit in providing proof for your flawed analysis.
The Palestinian economy was stronger before the intifada, yes. It was consequently destroyed by the Israeli occupation, which was the cause of the intifada in the first place.
Posted by Mohammad | July 22, 2008, 2:21 pmMohamad, you have a circular logic. The Israelis did not choose the Palestinian Authority. Your leaders were chosen through “selection of the fittest” and elections. Israel was obligated to support whatever Authority emerged from the Palestinians, especially since that Authority promised Peace.
Yes, the Palestinian economy was MUCH stronger before the intifada, in addition to which 250,000 Palestinians worked in Israel, most of them were unionized and paid good wages.
After the intifada began, Israel had to start revoking permits for Palestinians to work in Israel, because these permits were being abused by terrorist groups you support to murder innocent people. Checkpoints were created to stop terror attacks, and they work, just like in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ireland and everywhere else! They also destroyed Palestinian economic life.
No terror, no need for checkpoints. They were never used before the intifadas. There were no checkpoints then. Israelis could easily go to Pali villages and Palis could easily come to Israel.
Palestinians destroyed their own economy, while Israel is growing by more than the entire Pali economy every single year. It is now the biggest non-hydrocarbon economy in the region, except Turkey.
Posted by Mitch | July 22, 2008, 2:59 pmMitch, my circular logic kicks your ass, because just about everything you said in there is plain false.
The PA representatives are, currently, Hamas. Israel is backsing, arming and aiding an unelected government in Ramallah. Perhaps you would argue that Israel and Hamas are currently incompatible. Fair point. But your statement that Israel backs the elected PA is utterly false. It backs the corrupt element.
Secondly, Palestinians workers were not unionized or paid good wages in Israel. They were continuously and systematically exploited.
Thirdly, your assertation that there were no checkpoints prior to the outbreak of the second intifada is laughable. They have been in use for decades, and the policy of closure and increasing checkpoints began in 1989, as did the policy of revoking Palestinian working permits en masse.
Fourth, comparing the growth of the Palestinian economy with that of the Israeli economy reveals an acute amount of stupidity. There is no independent Palestinian state to control this economy. It is, and has always been, regulated by the occupation. That is the nature of occupation.
Finally, you circle around the key issue far better than my logic does, particularly since I have brought it up twice. Israel occupies the Palestinian people and colonizes their land. That is the reason why there is no functioning Palestinian economy.
Posted by Mohammad | July 23, 2008, 8:17 am