Search - American Experience - Partners Of The Heart on DVD

Excellent movie detailing medical innovation & racial histor

E. Fernie | USA | 09/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a person who's had the very procedure detailed in the movie - I was a bit apprehensive about seeing it... would they show the procedure in detail? Would that blow my mind?!

They don't show the procedure in detail, but they do follow the real life story of the two men gifted in medicine and the development of surgical procedures who came up with a way to bypass the unformed parts of the hearts of some children with certain congenital heart defects so they could lead longer, healthier lives.

For more information about how Blalock-Taussig shunt patients are doing right now go to the Adult Congenital Heart Association's website at www.achaheart.org

The movie also details the struggles of each man in relation to race and class and how it put a strain on their research partnership at times. I feel extremely indebted to these two men that they stuck it out, recognized their value as a team and followed their passions for medicine despite such differences in the status, pay, position, etc. that society would grant them at the time.

I'm so glad this story has been told!! It makes me feel like I am part of a profound history.

*The only thing I didn't like so much was that they left Helen Taussig out of the story for the most part to capitalize (maybe?) on the racial drama between Thomas & Blalock."