Dr. Benjamin Carson
Gifted Surgical Pioneer
By Donna Shannon,
Science Editor

Dr. Ben Carson, African-American neurosurgeon born on September 18, 1951, has been Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins since 1984 when at age 32 he was the youngest ever to hold this position. He is Professor of Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Oncology and Pediatrics. He is also the Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Craniofacial Center. He has written three best-selling books, Gifted Hands, Think Big and The Big Picture. 
 
Dr. Carson was the primary surgeon in the first successful operation separating Siamese twins joined at the head where both survived.  Another amazing thing he does is perform hemispherectomies – the removal of one whole side of the brain for children who, for example, are victims of virtually nonstop seizures.  This stops the seizures, and the remaining half of the brain actually compensates for the missing hemisphere.  He is sought out around the world for his expertise in separating conjoined twins and conducting brain surgery to control seizures.  He has operated on children with horrible brain tumors and other neurological conditions.   He gives God credit for the miracles his hands work for children otherwise given up as hopeless.
 
Dr. Carson has performed thousands of operations on the brain, but he also has put in a lot of time talking to groups of young people, trying to inspire and encourage them.  He is the ultimate example that starting out as he did with an absent father, surrounded by ghetto poverty and violence, and doing miserably at school, does not have to doom you to staying in that negativity or perpetuating the cycle into the next generation.  He talks to youth about making life what you want it to be through perseverance, prayer and self-respect, along with the inner drive to acquire knowledge.  Dr. Carson overcame all the obstacles in his way, and wants young people everywhere to know that they can also rise above their obstacles to achieve.  He has said we should see obstacles as hurdles - opportunities to exercise as we develop our talents and move on to the challenges of the future.
 
Dr. Carson didn’t develop his positive outlook and success-mindset on his own as a child.  When her two sons were doing poorly in school, their mother had the wisdom to know that they needed to at least be reading a lot and so they could discover new things, learning that there was more to life than the environment they were in at that time.  Thanks to his mother’s insisting on a lot of reading, Dr. Carson discovered that he was, in fact, intelligent and could actually contribute to classroom discussions (to the astonishment of teachers and classmates).  His brother also went on to be quite successful.  Dr. Carson did his undergraduate work at Yale University majoring in psychology, then studied medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School focusing on neurosurgery, and later moved on to Johns Hopkins University. 
 
Our children need to know it’s not all about sex and guns and “bling” and getting high.  They need to know there are more ways to be successful than trying to be a star in music, acting, or sports – only a tiny percent of people actually make it big in these areas.  They need to learn how good it feels to help others.  They need spiritual faith to bolster them when people let them down.  If we do at least what Dr. Carson’s mother did - keep them reading books - they have a chance of discovering things they are truly interested in, and with true interest they will excel.  If our kids fail, it’s usually because we failed them.  We have to help them discover their greatness.  Let’s not judge our youth lest we be judged for not doing our part.  May our children be surrounded by the love and support they need to thrive in this difficult world.

Say Freedom!
 
Sources:

www.drbencarson.com
www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/car1bio-1 www.findarticles.com/p/articles
www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/2631/Dr_Ben_Carson
www.carolina.com/achievements/carson.asp
"Streetwise Surgeon" by Mark Kram; Special Report Volume 4, Issue 3, July/August 1992.