Sunday, April 12, 2015
Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. (1944-2015) - Donald V. Watkins Moving Tribute To His Wonderful Brother and His Incredible Legacy. -- The Angels escorted my brother Levi Watkins, Jr., to his Heavenly home early this morning. He departed his Earthly body after a massive heart attack and stroke on Friday night. Levi died at his beloved Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he saved thousands of patients as a world-renowned heart surgeon. His spirit lives on in the three million patients worldwide whose hearts beat in a normal rhythm because of the implantable defibrillator he invented. Levi was one of my heroes. I loved, admired and respected him so much. I was with Levi years ago when he was first nominated for the Nobel prize in medicine for his invention. I was so proud of Levi and his rugged determination along the journey from rigid racial segregation in Alabama to acknowledged greatness in medicine on the world stage. We reminisced that day about how the University of Alabama at Birmingham would not accept Levi into its medical school in 1966. Instead, the state of Alabama paid Levi’s way to attend Vanderbilt Medical School, where he graduated as the first black medical student in that University’s history.
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