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Happy birthday to Dr. Robert E. Gross, the first William E. Ladd Professor of Child Surgery at @harvardmed and Surgeon-in-Chief at @BostonChildrens from 1947 until 1972! Dr. Gross’s historic first repair of a PDA in 1938 ushered in the era of congenital heart surgery. #CHD
Gross was actually still a surgical resident when he performed the first successful congenital heart surgery on 7yo Lorraine Sweeney. He famously waited until Prof. Ladd, the Chief of Surgery at the time, left for summer vacation to perform the operation.
According to legend, Ladd learned of the operation by reading about it in a newspaper. He promptly fired Gross upon returning from holiday but was eventually persuaded to invite Gross back some months later.
By the time Ladd called on him to return to Children’s, Gross was busy building a barn on his farm in Framingham. Gross told his Chief that he’d be happy to come back... as soon as the barn was finished.
Last year, at age 88, Lorraine took part in @BostonChildrens’s 150th anniversary pregame ceremony at @FenwayPark. A living legend! https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2019/09/27/she-recalls-daring-heart-surgery-that-saved-her-life/sUZpxDHleUYTVyUDavBFRK/story.html
