Helen Taussig
A pioneer in pediatric cardiology, she developed the Blalock-Taussig shunt procedure to treat 'blue baby syndrome'.
Most quoted
"The story of the Blalock-Taussig shunt is not just a story of a surgical procedure. It is a story of the triumph of hope and determination over a fatal disease."
— from Reflections on her work
"Research is not done in isolation. It is built upon the work of those who came before and in partnership with those who work beside you."
— from On scientific progress
"I believe in the power of careful clinical observation. The patient often tells you what you need to know if you listen closely enough."
— from Lecture notes
All quotes by Helen Taussig (411)
Medicine is an art based on science. The science gives us the tools, but the art tells us how and when to use them.
The pressure to conform is the enemy of discovery.
I have listened to thousands of hearts. Each one has its own rhythm, its own story.
The Blalock-Taussig shunt was not my idea alone. It was the culmination of observation, research, and a shared vision.
A physician's greatest asset is curiosity.
The difference between a tragedy and a triumph in medicine is often a matter of millimeters and minutes.
We must advocate for our patients not only in the operating room but in the halls of Congress.
The fetal heart is a marvel of engineering, and its malfunctions are puzzles we are obligated to solve.
True healing involves the mind and spirit of the patient, not just the body.
I never set out to make history. I set out to help children breathe.
The sound of a healthy heart is the sound of possibility.
Barriers are meant to be examined, and if they serve no good purpose, to be dismantled.
A diagnosis is not a label; it is a guide to action.
The partnership with Vivien Thomas was one of the most important of my life. Skill knows no color.
Hope is a medicine in itself.
The study of abnormalities teaches us the profound beauty of normal function.
You cannot separate the health of the heart from the health of the lungs. They are partners in life.
Courage in medicine is not the absence of fear, but the decision that the patient's need is greater.
Every child I have lost has taught me something that helped me save the next.
The medical textbook is always being rewritten. We are its authors.
Contemporaries of Helen Taussig
Other Medicines born within 50 years of Helen Taussig (1898–1986).