| Author/Contributor(s): | Schoettler, Joan; Walthall, Steffi |
| Publisher: | Beach Lane Books |
| Date: | 5/12/2026 |
| Binding: | Hardcover |
| Condition: | NEW |
Vivien Thomas always loved solving problems and figuring out how things worked. In high school, inspired by his family physician, he decided he would become a doctor. Despite losing his college savings during the 1930 bank panic, Vivien stayed dedicated to making his dream a reality, a trait that would serve him all his life.
Vivien secured a lab assistant position at Vanderbilt University and later moved to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he and his mentor developed a groundbreaking procedure to cure blue baby syndrome, which led to them performing the first open-heart surgery on a child.
With the power of his passion, perseverance, and dedication to learning (and without any formal college education), Vivien saved thousands of lives.