By Dawn
Brazell
Public Relations
Mother
Kristella Ham said she didn't
like the news André Hebra, M.D.,
had to deliver about her
premature twin son. The bad news
she learned was that one out of
three babies wouldn't last 48
hours with what her son, Khamani
Makell, faced.
He was
premature, had short bowel
syndrome, nectrotizing
entercolitis and at one point
was close to death in the NICU
on a do-not-resuscitate order.
But then he started doing
better. Hebra, who believes in
never giving up when there's a
sign of hope, continued in the
fight performing nine of the
multiple surgeries that Khamani
would need. One of the surgeries
removed 90 percent of his
intestines.
On Oct. 18,
Khamani, 3, will be in for a
checkup. He has only slight
development delays and loves to
play basketball.
Dr. André Hebra
with "miracle" patient Khamani
Makell.
"He's a
miracle baby," she said, adding
that Hebra's an excellent
doctor.
She's not the
only one to think so. Hebra
became the first person to hold
the H. Biemann Othersen Jr.,
M.D. Endowed Chair in Pediatric
Surgery Sept. 29 at a ceremony
in the historic Rice Mill
Building.
David Cole,
M.D., Rose Professor and
chairman of the Department of
Surgery, said it is a fitting
tribute that Hebra is the one to
first hold the Othersen Chair.
Their paths first intersected 25
years ago when Hebra was a
medical student at MUSC and
subsequently conducted his
residency training in general
surgery. Othersen then was a
member of the faculty in
pediatric surgery and guided
Hebra through his internship in
pediatric surgery and beyond.
"The Othersen
Chair was created three years
ago in honor of South Carolina's
first pediatric surgeon and one
of the state's most revered
physicians and gentleman," Cole
said. "Biemann Othersen has
touched the lives of literally
thousands of children and their
families. In his more than
50-year association with MUSC,
few have made a more significant
impact on patients, faculty,
staff and students."
Cole said the
endowed chair serves as a
permanent tribute to Othersen's
compassion and skill as a surgeon,
along with his many contributions
to his profession and community.
Dr. H. Biemann
Othersen applauds as Dr. Andrea
Hebra, center receives his award
from Dr. David Cole.
Hebra took the
occasion to share some of the
giants in his life, including the
"super giant" Othersen. "If it
wasn't for him, this endowed chair
would not exist and I would not be
standing here today. Probably
everyone in this room knows of the
numerous and amazing
accomplishments of his
professional life. What you should
also know is that his hard work
and dedication has allowed the
Department of Surgery and the
Division of Pediatric Surgery to
pull together financial resources
that made this endowed chair a
reality."
Hebra went on
to name other giants that made
this moment possible, including
his patients and their families.
"I have always admired the courage
of parents that must deal with
sick children who undergo surgery,
and I am amazed at the resilience
of children when it comes to
surgery and disease.
"The most
important lessons I have learned
from my patients are: To
appreciate how lucky my family and
I are and to never give up. I am
not sure that I could endure the
emotional stress that comes with
having a sick child. The patients
and their parents are the giants
of my daily life in the operating
room and in the hospital."
Patient's
story lends ceremony touching
moment
Editor's
Note: The
following is an excerpt from a
speech given Sept. 29 by Dana
Rothschild celebrating André
Hebra becoming the first
person to hold the H. Biemann
Othersen Jr., M.D., Endowed
Chair in Pediatric Surgery.
Forty years
ago, at the age of 4, I was
diagnosed with a neuroblastoma
and I was blessed to have the
best pediatric surgeon in the
country operating on me for
almost 21 hours, for the first
time. Dr. Bee, as I and others
call him, is such an
extraordinary human being and
physician and has been a
consultant and comforter for
practically every crisis,
procedure and surgery I have had
since.
Dr. H. Biemann
Othersen with Dana Rothschild.
I have a story
to share with you. It is my
story, written by my mother,
Faye Seigel, but it is the story
of thousands of parents and
children who face the journey of
hope, fear, recovery and
renewal. It begins in her words:
"The wide
double doors opened. I looked
down the aisle framed with
unfamiliar faces. Everyone was
standing and looking toward us.
The applause began as a faint
rhythmic sound and then exploded
into a thunderous roar. I looked
down at my 9-year-old daughter
and she gazed up at me. With one
hand in mine and the other in
her father's, we began walking
down the aisle and with each
step forward, my mind took me
back—back to the months and
years that had brought us to
this moment of triumph.
When you hear
the words, 'Your daughter has
cancer' the life you had a few
days ago is transformed into a
nightmare. Radiation and
chemotherapy began immediately
in hopes the tumor would shrink
before surgery. It had engulfed
her kidneys, aorta and
intestines. We were referred to
Dr. Bee who became the
invaluable source for
information and expertise and
provided the constant
reassurance and patience when we
asked over and over, 'Will she
be OK? Will she survive?'
Dana's
operation was scheduled for Feb.
18, 1972. Her father, Jerry
Rothschild and I held her hands
as she was wheeled down the
corridor. She looked up at us
with the trust of a 4-year-old.
We had been told that the
operation would prolong her
life, but there were no
guarantees of long-term
survival. The elevator doors
closed and we were left to
endure 21 hours of endless
waiting. At last it was over and
she was taken to intensive care
where she would remain for six weeks,
and we would endure another five
months of life-and-death
complications and many more
surgeries.
Her tiny frame
was emaciated because she wasn't
allowed to eat or drink, and
tubes entered every orifice.
When she was able, we put her in
a big red wagon with all her
machines and took her out into
the corridors. Her father would
take the night shift. I would be
by her side during the day.
Finally, Dr. Bee encouraged us
to get some help for the evening
and we were blessed to have a
dear woman named Peggy. She made
little hospital gowns for her
with her name embroidered on the
front and crocheted colorful
afghans for her. One night, she
appeared with a small brown
paper bag, and inside was a
black bundle of curly fur, a
poodle that weighed less than a
pound. For the first time in
months, we saw life come back
into Dana's eyes and she smiled
and reached out to touch him.
After weaning
Dana off the machines and
letting her wounds heal, Dr. Bee
gave us the news we had waited
six months long to hear, 'Dana,
you can go home today and take
all your toys with you.'
The sound of our names brought
me back to the crowded room we
had entered. We reached the
podium and learned that her
miraculous story had just been
told to the audience who were
participating in an American
Cancer Society conference on
childhood cancer. That night, we
attended a football game. The
announcer said 'This football
game is dedicated to all the
children who have waged the war
against cancer.' As he spoke,
our eyes turned toward the
scoreboard. In flashing lights
it read: The Winner: Dana
Rothschild."
Yes, I am so
grateful to be a winner with a
wonderful husband, two beautiful
children and a career I love as a
pediatric occupational therapist.
Dr. Bee because
of your skill, relentless
commitment as well as the other
physicians and nurses at MUSC, I
thank you from the bottom of my
heart.
Biography:
André Hebra
André Hebra,
M.D., began his medical education
with a pre-med and Doctor of
Medicine at FUABC University in
Sao Paulo, Brazil. He obtained a
second medical degree in 1987 from
MUSC where he also completed his
residency in general surgery.
It was during
this time he formed an interest in
minimal access surgery and given
an opportunity to be a part of the
early development of laparoscopic
surgical techniques. During his
residency he completed a two-year
research fellowship at the
University of Pennsylvania and
completed a fellowship in
pediatric surgery at the
Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia. He became board
certified in general surgery,
surgical critical care and
pediatric surgery.
In 1995, he
returned to MUSC as assistant
professor in the Department of
Surgery and in 1999 was promoted
to associate professor.
In 2002, Hebra
was recruited to director of the
Minimally Invasive Pediatric
Surgery Program and chief of
surgery at All Children's Hospital
in St. Petersburg, Fla. Hebra
returned to MUSC in 2007 as the
chief of the Division of Pediatric
Surgery and chief of surgery of
MUSC Children's Hospital.
Hebra has been
responsible for the restructuring
of the pediatric surgical services
and development of the pediatric
surgical and anesthesia specialty
group. His expertise in minimally
invasive surgery has brought MUSC
Children's Hospital to a new level
of recognition. His study of
pectus excavatum and carinatum was
a critical contribution to the
hospital's designation as a center
of excellence. Because of his
experience with laparoscopic and
robotic surgery, he was also
responsible for initiating the da
Vinci robotic surgical program at
MUSC.
Hebra and his
wife, Jennifer, have two children,
Alex (13) and André (11), and live
on Johns Island.
|