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I had heard him speak three times
He was truly inspirational.
I asked three questions during one lecture and one question after a lecture and he was incredibly thoughtful in his answers.
When I last heard him speak last year, he was still operating as a pediatric surgeon, even at his age. Few knew he was a surgeon, but he said it was because of being a surgeon that he stuck to his guns when everyone poo-pooed his research, ridiculed him and refused to fund grants and publish papers. He KNEW from experience how much cancers would bleed when he tried to remove them and that gave him the wherewithall to stick it out--all the medical oncologists, radiation therapists, PhDs and especially pathologists had no clue about that very important feature of cancer because they didn't approach it in the same way and come in direct contact with it in its native state on a daily basis.
At his last lecture I got to meet his daughter and granddaughter who were in the audience. It was evident that his pride in them knew no bounds. His demeanor at all times was full of kindness and humanity.
I considered myself lucky to have seen this aspect of this absolutely remarkable human being and stubborn fighter against cancer on multiple fronts (in the operating room and the research lab).
His early death is a tragedy for us all.
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