Ben Carson
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| Benjamin Carson | |
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 Dr. Ben Carson
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| Born | September 18, 1951 (age 55) |
| Occupation | Neurosurgeon |
| Spouse | Candy Carson |
Benjamin Carson (born September 18, 1951) is a noted American neurosurgeon. He became the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital when he was 33 years old.
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[edit] Background
In 1987 Carson came to media attention when he separated conjoined twins who were joined at the head and shared part of the same brain.
In 1997 he traveled to South Africa where he led a 50-member team in the successful separation of 11-month old Zambian twin boys, Joseph and Luka Banda, joined at the head. The twins did not share any organs but did share intricate blood vessels which flowed into each child's brain. According to Carson he had performed surgical rehearsals with a computerized, 3-D virtual workbench that allowed him to visualize computerized reconstructions of the twins' brains. The operation lasted 30 hours.The twins, who are doing well, live in Zambia.
In 2003, he was a member of the surgical team which worked to separate Ladan and Laleh Bijani. When asked why he had performed such risky surgery, he said that he had heard them say that they would rather die than stay conjoined. After having heard that, he wanted to use his skills to try to save them.
The son of a single parent, Carson graduated from Yale University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. He earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1977.
Carson is a recipient of numerous honors and awards including more than 20 honorary doctorate degrees. He is a member of the American Academy of Achievement, the Horatio Alger Society of Distinguished Americans, the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and many other prestigious organizations. He sits on many boards including the Board of Directors of Kellogg Company, Costco Wholesale Corporation, Yale Corporation (the governing body of Yale University), and America's Promise. He is also the president and co-founder of the Carson Scholars Fund, which recognizes young people of all backgrounds for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments. Carson did a cameo in the 2003 movie Stuck on You (starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear) where he dons a surgeon mask to separate the conjoined twins.
In June 2002, Carson was diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of prostate cancer. Six weeks later he underwent successful surgery to remove the cancer. He took an active role in the medical and recovery process, asking his medical team questions and examining his own X-rays and scans. Since the surgery there have been no complications, and he did not need to undergo chemotherapy or other radiation treatment.
Carson was appointed to the President's Council on Bioethics by George W. Bush in 2004.
In addition to being a surgeon, Carson is also a writer who has authored three bestsellers: Gifted Hands, The Big Picture, and Think Big. The first book is an autobiography, and the latter two are about his personal philosophies of success that incorporate hard work and a faith in God. Ben Carson is a Seventh-day Adventist, and an outspoken Christian. He has also advocated in favor of creationism over evolution as an explanation of human origins.
Carson has been married to Candy Carson for twenty-five years and has three sons. He also has a middle school named after him, Benjamin S. Carson Honors Preparatory Middle School.
For the 2006 PBS program, African American Lives, Carson had his DNA tested. The genetic test determined that his ancestors originated from the Lunda ethnic group, who are currently located in Angola, Congo and Zambia.
[edit] Publications
- Carson, Benjamin S., M.D. (2000). "The Big Picture", Zondervan Publishing Co. ISBN 0-310-23834-X
- Carson, Benjamin S., M.D. (1996). "Think Big", Zondervan Publishing Co. ISBN 0-310-21459-9
- Carson, Benjamin S., M.D. (1996). "Gifted Hands", Zondervan Publishing Co. ISBN 0-310-21469-6
[edit] Quotes
- "We didn't know if it was humanly possible to reach the top of Mt. Everest."
