Heritage Snapshot: Part 80 by Richard A. Schaefer - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 01 02 03 04 05
View Events
Submit Events
directory

Heritage Snapshot: Part 80

By Richard A. Schaefer, Community Writer
October 3, 2013 at 08:42am. Views: 95

In February, 1988, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation interviewed Dr. Leonard Bailey for a “backgrounder” on Loma Linda University Medical Center. By that time, five Canadian babies had received heart transplants. The reporter asked, “Why not stop.… Let people catch up.… Let debate happen.… Let some new laws and standards be set, and then carry on?” “Well, that’s reasonable, I think,” Bailey replied. “And we could stop.” Then he asked, “If your baby tomorrow had hypoplastic heart disease, would you want me to stop … and wait around for the ethicists to make up their minds? I think the slant of public opinion is sufficiently in our direction that we don’t need to stop. Furthermore, I feel we are morally correct in what we are doing, so I’m not about to stop.” He was emphatic: “Every time we look into the eyes of those little babies that have new hearts in them, we’re convinced we’re on the right track. When a baby dies, it just doesn’t seem fair. Death never seems quite fair. But to begin your life with death … is a terrible tragedy.… Aren’t you ever interested about the possibilities of this little life … in 20 or 30 years … of wondering what could really come of all that? Just wondering about that, thinking about it, keeps you coming back.” In an interview with editors of Loma Linda University Scope, Bailey admitted to being “a real patsy when it comes to looking into a baby’s eyes and dreaming about the potential for this little person.… We could have continued to let them die, I suppose. We’ve been doing that for years. However, when we can, we try to save them.… That we take an interest in babies makes a real statement about us as human beings, about our way of life. We need babies; we need the statement that saving babies makes.” Speaking of Loma Linda’s statistics, Bailey said: “I’m convinced the Almighty has much to do with it. It’s almost humanly impossible, given the condition of these babies. These were kids with incurable heart disease in all states of decompensation!” What has been Dr. Leonard Bailey’s motivation in trying to save doomed babies? “Few life events on earth exceed the realization of love, the miracle of conception, or the emotion of birthing,” he wrote. “Babies are naturally embraced by hope, by reflection of what can be, and by promises to keep; that is, unless the heart within a baby’s breast is so poorly developed that life cannot go on. I have been driven by the notion that heart disease should not end the promise of a newborn infant. Heart transplantation restores the hopes and dreams surrounding these babies and, hence, ranks right up there with the best of life events on earth. It is a genuine re-birthing for a baby dying of heart disease, and the process is a very fine moment, indeed, for humanity. It is fundamentally good news, and while it may not necessarily even the score for all the tragedy facing our planet, saving a baby always makes a clear statement for what can and ought to be in the universe. As with the babies and their loved ones, my own life assumes new meaning and affirmation in the process. I am compelled by the belief that saving babies is the right thing to do.” The heart transplant team has now performed 329 heart transplants on babies under one year of age. All would have died without the delicate surgery.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 895

Athlete of the Week Christopher Michael Lemos, Redlands High School Junior and Varsity Quarterback, proudly represents the Terriers with his dedication, leadership, and passion for the game.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 1763

Redlands Pottery Project joins A.K. Smiley Public Library for a November 14 workshop designed for young artists ages 13 to 18. A lump of clay may not look like much at first. In the hands of a young artist, however, it can become a bowl, a decorative sculpture or an entirely unexpected creation.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.redlands.edu/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 2868

The University of Redlands Department of Theatre and Dance will present Día de los Muertos and Other Folk Tales November 5 through 8, 2026. Stories told by grandparents often become treasured parts of a family's history. Some are humorous, others mysterious, and many carry lessons that remain meaningful long after the storyteller is gone.

Photo Courtesy of: UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 963

A remote wildfire-monitoring camera overlooks a Southern California landscape. Redlands has partnered with UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia program to improve monitoring of areas near northern Redlands and the Santa Ana River wash.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.akspl.org/events/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 1970

Annual ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine will bring American history to life on November 21. On a November morning in Redlands, the sounds of fifes, drums and historic artillery will offer residents an opportunity to experience a chapter of American history that continues to influence the nation more than 160 years after the Civil War.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:18pm. Views: 851

The first years of a child's life are filled with milestones that families often remember forever. A baby's first smile, the first attempt to crawl and the first spoken words are moments of celebration. They can also bring questions, uncertainty and new responsibilities for parents learning how to care for a growing child.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.csusb.edu/

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 1061

CSUSB’s Department of Physics and Astronomy has earned recognition for it for its work to create a more inclusive, diverse and supportive physics department, earning the Bronze Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science Physics & Astronomy SEA Change program.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.naco.org/program/operation-green-light-veterans

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 2354

Operation Green Light returns November 4–11, encouraging residents to recognize military service and help veterans connect with available resources. As darkness settles over San Bernardino during the first week of November, green lights will illuminate several county buildings, transforming familiar government facilities into visible reminders of the sacrifices made by America's military veterans.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.authentikusa.com/

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 1002

As America's most famous highway celebrates its centennial in 2026, San Bernardino reflects on the road that helped shape its neighborhoods, businesses and identity. Long before interstate highways became the preferred routes for cross-country travel, motorists making their way through San Bernardino followed a road that would become one of the most recognizable highways in American history.

Photo Courtesy of: Corina Borsuk and provided courtesy of SBCUSD

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 779

Muscoy Elementary students join SBCUSD Superintendent Mauricio Arellano, Board of Education President Mayra Ceballos, Assistant Superintendents Dr. Sandra Rodriguez and Dr. Tasha Doizan, Director MaryRone Goodwin and San Bernardino County Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. for the official ribbon cutting ceremony that opened the school’s new outdoor learning center.

Photo Courtesy of: https://riversiderecord.org/; A photo of Moreno Valley City Hall. (Alicia Ramirez/The Riverside Record) Credit: (Photo by Alicia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 1060

A city is often judged by what residents experience every day: the condition of its streets, the reliability of public services, the availability of recreational programs and the ease of obtaining information from local government. Behind those everyday experiences are departments and employees whose work rarely attracts national attention.

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 954

Athlete of the Week Zachary Scott Perez, Senior at John W. North High School, is recognized as Athlete of the Week for his dedication and accomplishments as a student athlete.

--> -->