Heritage Snapshot: Part 91 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 91

By Richard A. Schaefer, Community Writer
December 18, 2013 at 10:16am. Views: 75

In a look back at the first globe-trotting heart surgery team, co-founder C. Joan Coggin, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist, was quoted by Penny Estes Wheeler to be a “Woman of Spirit.” “I [Joan Coggin] was working in a crowded cardiac clinic [in Saudia Arabia] when I looked toward the back and saw a tall, handsome young man wending his way forward. He was sort of pushing people gently aside, bouncing toward me. He gave me this huge smile and I smiled back and he hugged and kissed me, and so I hugged right back, thinking, 'who is this boy?' He was broad-shouldered, very handsome and I thought, ‘Well, eventually I’m going to have to find out who he is but until then it’s all very pleasant.’ “Finally, he could see that I was puzzled and so he said to me, “Mafi zehn.” At that the hugging and kissing started all over again. “We’d operated on him 10 years before when he was about 6 years old. He was a darling child. His father was in the military and came to see him when he could but his mother lived quite far away and could not visit, so we spent a lot of time with him. “Many of the children there had bad teeth as they ate so many sweets. He had a very serious heart disease and his baby teeth were so decayed that we had them all pulled for fear they would cause an infection. “Well, the Arabic word for teeth is zehn and mafi is the word for nothing. My Arabic is limited to just a few words and so I’d tease him and say, “Mafi zehn,” which means “nothing teeth.” It’s not even good Arabic but he knew what I meant. I was trying to learn the alphabet from some little Arabic books and I’d sit with him at night and he’d laugh at my pronunciation and I’d teach him a few English words and he would teach me. You can see that this kid was a pet. “When the surgeons got into his chest, it was far worse than anyone thought. They literally reconstructed his heart. But then we couldn’t get him off the heart-lung machine. We were all terrified. His heart had to beat on its own and time was running out… I watched the futile efforts of our surgeons to get our young friend off the heart-lung machine. I was simply praying with every breath I took. “Someone woke our off-duty staff and they all got together and prayed for him, too. We all were praying continually. The clock ticked on. Finally our prayers turned the tide. We were able to make some changes in the chemistry and he came off the pump. He was desperately sick but he survived and went home. And this tall young man was the boy. “I looked at him and I thought, 'This is a perfect example of what it means to work together.' If only one person had not done their job right, he wouldn’t be here. And his life shows what it means to rely on God, for without the overruling power of the Lord, he would not be here now.” Coggin eventually became the Loma Linda University special assistant to the president for International Affairs and the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center vice-president for Global Outreach. She has earned much international acclaim, including the Outstanding Woman of the Year in Sciences Award from the Los Angeles Museum of Science and Industry and the Republic of Vietnam’s highest distinction in the health sciences, the Golden Medal of Health. Living the life she has, she often has felt very close to God. “I know that I must rely on God," she said. "When you’re so far from home, so far from what is familiar, that is when you feel closest to God. I have seen a lot of suffering, of course, but I’ve seen a lot of miracles… I don’t understand suffering but I trust God and that is all that matters.”

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 885

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: 1717

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: 2859

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: 954

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: 1935

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: 843

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: 1051

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: 2312

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: 993

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: 769

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: 1052

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: 946

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.

--> -->