Vivien Thomas

Vivien Thomas was a black man born in the early 1900’s. At a young age he took on his adopted father's profession of carpentry shortly after high school. This was not what he ended up doing for the rest of his life.Thomas was a man with great intelligence who helped to uncover medical mysteries and lower the racial barrier for black men and women in the medical field. Vivien Thomas was considered the heart surgeon pioneer of his time. Being denied the chance to become a doctor in the time of the Great Depression. Vivien Thomas used his persistence and passion for the medical field, to help uncover one of medicine's biggest mysteries. Until the late 1950’s surgery on the heart was considered taboo and of limits. Thus, meaning anyone with a heart malformation or any problem of the heart was good for dead.

Tetralogy of Fallot, or blue baby syndrome is a congenital heart defect. It cuts of the blood oxygen level to a baby’s body. This heart problem was a sure death for infants in the early to mid 1900’s. This disease was caused by a defective septum between the ventricles and narrowing of the pulmonary artery. Which lead to the cyanosis (blue pigment) of a baby’s skin, lead from lack of oxygen. Many babies were diagnosed with this at birth or shortly after. In these times they did not live very long and had many problem. They lived very uncomfortable lives until they passed of asphyxiation or choking from no oxygen.

Thomas had the passion and persistence to be in the medical field. Thomas along with surgeon Alfred Blalock and pediatric cardiologist Helen Taussig worked together to correct the congenital heart defect Tetralogy of Fallot. This procedure took a long time for Blalock and Thomas to master. They worked close in the surgical laboratory together. Thomas with collaboration of Blalock created many surgical equipment, to increase the safety of this congenital heart surgery. Tho he never became a doctor, his intelligence and persistence gave him the chance to be Blalock’s lab technician. He was not awarded at first for his role in this procedure, and in some 25 years later he was then credited. In 1976, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from The Johns Hopkins University. Many years later when he was recognized for his help in this operative technique, the people of The Johns Hopkins Hospital hung a portrait of Vivien Thomas in the Blalock Building across from surgeon Blalock.

After 35 years of supervising the surgical laboratories at Hopkins School. Thomas was appointed instructor of surgery at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In 1979, upon his retirement, he became instructor of surgery. Vivien Thomas's achievements were widely recognized by many people. In 1976, he was awarded the honorary degree Doctor of Laws, at Johns Hopkins University. He passed on November 26, 1985 after living life rising above poverty and racism.