Vivien Thomas and Alfred Blalock came from two different worlds. Thomas’ story was dramatized in the 2004 HBO film Something the Lord Made, and the 2003 PBS documentary Partners of the Heart. In 2005, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine named one of its 4 new colleges after Vivien Thomas. NARRATOR: Vivien Thomas and Alfred Blalock came from two different … Recently, Vivien Thomas' fascinating story has been the inspiration for the PBS documentary, "Partners of The Heart" and the HBO film, "Something The Lord Made." Vivien Theodore Thomas was the grandson of a slave and developed the desire to become a medical doctor at an early age. The documentary Partners of the Heart was premiered in 2003 by PBC series American Experience which was about Blalock and Vivien Thomas working together at Vanderbilt and John Hopkins University. He wanted to be a doctor, and in Black Nashville that was not a pipe dream. The Johns Hopkins Medicine, Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity and The Hopkins Diaspora ERG, in collaboration with Spark Media, Inc. hosted a free virtual presentation of the award winning documentary, “Partners of the Heart” You can rent or buy “Partners of the Heart” from the Spark Media website. They first met in Nashville, Tennessee in 1930. Search. Sadly, Thomas died November 26, 1985, just as the book was published. With Alan Rickman, Yasiin Bey, Kyra Sedgwick, Gabrielle Union. A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas. In fact, Vivien Thomas actually made some of the instruments used in the operations and perfected the technique so much that Dr.Blalock would not operate withouth Thomas standing directly behind him on a platform of sorts so that he could see over Blalock's shoulder and direct him as to each step (or so the documentary stated.) As a teenager growing up in Nashville in the 1920s, Vivien Thomas hoped to become a doctor. This in incorrect. Produced by Spark Media and broadcast on PBS American Experience. … John C Abercrombie. https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/mstp/person/vivien-t-thomas LEVI WATKINS JR.,M.D, Johns Hopkins: I think he is the most untalked about, unappreciated, unknown giant in the African American community. See more ideas about thomas, blue baby syndrome, history. He was the assistant to surgeon Alfred Blalock in Blalock's experimental animal laboratory at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and later at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. By. The grandson of a slave, Vivien Thomas conducted the critical experiments that formed the basis of the “Blue baby” heart operations at Hopkins. Find Vivien Thomas online. The article states as follows in the lead-in: "A documentary based on his life, Something the Lord Made, in May 2004 on HBO." He was an assistant to surgeon Alfred Blalock in Blalock's experimental animal laboratory at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and later at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) was an African-American surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s. Though Thomas' intelligence, dexterity and determination were critical to Blalock's success, it was over 25 years before he was given proper public credit for his role in devising the Blue Baby surgery. Vivien Thomas – Grandson of a Slave is Finally Called Doctor. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Images, Youtube and more on IDCrawl - the leading free people search engine. Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) was an African-American surgical technician and animal surgeon who developed in the canine model the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s. As he planned to start college, his education focus shifted to finances and he looked for a job. Menu Cart 0. Directed by Joseph Sargent. Vivien Thomas' life and legacy are rife with colors – black, white and blue. Cart 0. Interview with Vivien Thomas… Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) [1] was an African-American surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s. Something the Lord Made is a 2004 HBO movie dramatization based on Vivien Thomas's book, "Partners of the Heart". It is not a documentary. This continued until Vivien Thomas was performing research and surgery by himself, with much of his skill being self taught. Thomas died in 1985. But the Great Depression kept that dream from coming to be. Vivien found work as a surgical research assistant at Vanderbilt University, working with surgeon Alfred Blalock.