Archive for November, 2007
Enjoy the benefits of green tea - Camrose Canadian
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Mahkota Dewa Tea, an herbal cure-all - Jakarta Post
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DeBakey receives bill authorizing Congressional Gold Medal
HOUSTON -- (November 27, 2007) -- Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, chancellor emeritus of Baylor College of Medicine, today accepted from U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-Houston) and U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Woodlands) the signed bill authorizing his Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor that body can bestow.
"I am mindful of the fact that so many of my colleagues here in this room at Baylor College of Medicine on the faculty supported me in my personal activities very strongly, and I deeply appreciate that. I feel I am sharing this award with them," said DeBakey. The framed bill with the pen President George W. Bush used to sign it will be on exhibition in the new DeBakey Library and Museum, scheduled to open next year.
Ceremony honors DeBakey
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The ceremony took place in BCM’s Cullen auditorium before a packed audience of the College’s board, faculty, staff and students along with representatives of Texas Medical Center institutions and political entities in the region. As speakers lauded him, DeBakey appeared visibly moved and pleased that he could share the honor with his closest colleagues. He previously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science and the Lasker Award, among many other honors.
"So many people in this room love, admire and have worked with Dr. DeBakey across a broad spectrum of activities," said Dr. Peter G. Traber, president and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine. "This is only a small fraction of the faculty, staff and people who have been touched by him in Houston."
"We are appreciative that you took the time and effort to share this with Dr. DeBakey’s extended family," he told the senator and U.S. representatives who attended the event.
Labor of love
"This was a labor of love for our Texas delegation," said Hutchison. "Dr. DeBakey joins the ranks of only 196 people in our country (to receive the honor). It is not a slam-dunk." Others who have received the medal include George Washington, Nelson Mandela, Jonas Salk and Pope John Paul II.
"It was your overall contribution to our country that made the difference," Hutchison told DeBakey. "I want to also acknowledge that we’re so happy to do this ceremony here with the people who know you, love you and who respect you for all you have done."
The actual medal will be presented to DeBakey in ceremonies in Washington, D.C. next year. It must be designed and struck in solid gold.
Calling DeBakey a "great citizen" not only of the United States but also the world, Green said he and others in the Texas delegation actually telephoned him on the surgeon’s 99th birthday to let him know that enough signatures had been collected to make the award official. Green said he was touched that DeBakey said receiving the medal made him proud of his U.S. citizenship.
"He is a gentle soul who has made a difference in all of our lives," Green said. He credited Brady and U.S. Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-Lewisville) with helping to spearhead the effort in the House of Representatives. Burgess is a physician.
Green also credited Hutchison with ensuring that the legislation authorizing the medal for DeBakey was passed.
"I was not there at the genesis (of the effort to obtain the medal), but she was. Not only was she there, but she was persistent. She did not let this effort die. She took it back to the floor of the Senate again, again and again. More important, she was able to get the House on board to make sure that we could get the number of signatures needed."
Medical accomplishments touted
"Dr. DeBakey has changed modern medicine," said Brady. "Because of his ideas and his actions, lives have been lengthened, veterans have been saved and hope has been restored throughout this country and the world. This day would not have been possible but for the leadership of our Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Congressman Al Green, who made sure we honored this man today."
Each of the elected leaders pointed to DeBakey’s many medical accomplishments and statesmanship as evidence that he deserved the Congressional Medal. However, Hutchison said that his contributions to treating wounded soldiers on the battlefield that led to the establishment of MASH units and his work with the Veterans Affairs medical system sealed the deal with many members of Congress.
The award renewed his gratitude at being born a citizen of the United States, said DeBakey. His parents were immigrants who grew up and were educated in the United States, he said. However, they had to study for and achieve their U.S. citizenship.
"They always remind us how much they cherished and treasured their citizenship," he said. “We were constantly impressed by our parents that this was a great treasure.”
His parents also sought the best in education for all their children, he said. Their support of his efforts combined with the good schools in his native Lake Charles, La., prepared him well for college at Tulane University. When he went to Europe for two years of postgraduate surgical training, his parents supported him as well. At that time, study in Europe was required for physicians who wanted to advance in academic medicine.
"We have reversed that completely. People from all over the world come here for their postgraduate training." he said. He credited the Congress with helping that effort by establishing the National Institutes of Health and putting funds into medicine and research.
Protect yourself: 10 strategies to fight illness - Atlanta Journal Constitution
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Citrus Juice Gives Boost to Green Tea Antioxidants - Forbes
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