January 23, 1990, NIH Record, Vol. XLII, No. 2
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January 23, 1990 Vol. XLIJ No. 2 "The Second U.S. Department of Health Best Thing and Human Services About Payday" National Institutes of Health Recori 'Freedom Is Not Free' President's Visit Lifts NIH Remembers Martin Luther King's Dream Spirits of Patients, Staff Br Carla Garnett By Rich McManus Almost before it began, NIH's 17th annual eran. "I tremble when I chink of his kindness President Bush's 90-minuce visit co the and brilliance. He was a g reat man-a Dr. Manin Luther King, Jr. commemorative NIH campus three days before Christmas left program seemed destined tO be emotional. humble, gentle, man of God . .. a living leg patients and caregivers with a strong_ impres Just before ir ended, .. Remember the Man . .. end in his own rime." sion of che genuine concern and compassion Remember the Dream" would leave its capac Hooks, who walked and worked with King, chat he, his family and administration have for ity crowd singing and cheering in the aisles. gave an eyewitness account of rhe Apr. 3, people with AIDS and_cheir loved ones. "I know you will feel entirely different 1968, night on which King delivered his final Joined by his wife Barbara, their son when you leave here than you felt when you speech ro more than 2,000 listeners ac a George Jr., and DHHS secretary Dr. Louis arrived," predicted NIH Division of Equal Memphis meeting hall. Sullivan and his wife, Ginger, the president Opportunity direnor Diane Armstrong, who "It was a Jark, stormy night," recalled received briefings on AIDS research from cop marked her first King celebration as an NIH Hooks, telling the story with an emotion and NIH auchoricies then spent time with both employee. "You will be spiritually uplifted . ., intensity chat quieted the 500-scac Masur adult and pediatric AIDS patients, urging Jf the enthusiastic response of the audience Audirorium. "It was ominous. We could hear chem co cell him their problems. was an accurate indication, Armstrong's rhe rain hitting the tin roof overhead. We "Two things struck me about the presi prophecy proved true. could see chc zig-zag patterns of lightning dent's visit," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, NlAID In a keynote address interrupted often by streak through the stained glass windows. We director and NIH associate director for AIDS rousing applause and laughter, Dr. Benjamin could hear the thunder resound like a thou Hooks, executive director of the National sand hungry lions. And we were all wrapped Association for the Advancement of Colored up in the eloquence of Marcin Lurhcr King." People (NAACP), defined the current srnce of According to Hooks, one of the lase chi ngs blacks in America and described the life and King said 22 years ago was char 'there are legacy of King. dark and difficult days ahead.' "I wish you all could have known him," "I wish there was some way I could cell said Hooks, who was introduced by NIH act him: You were surely right ... we have had ing director Dr. William Raub as a lawyer, minister, businessman and World War II vet- (See KING, Pa.ge 2 ) Publisher Still Sought CC Nurse Writes AIDS Education Book for Children By Rich McManus Several years ago on the 13th floor of the Like many first-time authors, Montrella has Clinical Center, a nurse caring for an 11-year learned how cold and cruel the publishing L()rraine Lamar watches as her son A11sti11. an old g irl with AIDS heard a sentence that world can be. In rhe 2 years since she wrore AIDS patient, gives Presidem Bmh a kiss dt1ring moved her to rears. che text as an adj uncc co graduate nursing his ,w:enl visit lo NIH. The president exchanged The patient, who had acquired AIDS via studies, she has gone from exhilaration to gifts and holiday greetings with both adult and transfusion of contaminated blood, had been depression as various would-be publishers have pediatric AlDS patientJ here. wrestling privately with the implications of taken interest in her work and then subse (API\Vide World PholoJ) her diagnosis and could not bear ro cell any of quently abandoned it. At the moment, her friends chat she had AIDS. She was des Montrella is considering publishing the book research. "First , it publicly confirms what perately afraid they would chink she had herself. we've all known-chat the president is a gotten the d isease "the bad way. In some respects, the book began when scrong supporter of NIH, particularly of its 'Just cell people chat I am scill me, even Montrella was a teenager g rowing up in Orc intramural program here in Bethesda. Second, though I have AIDS," che girl confided co land, Pa., a small town about an hour north it was an excellent example of the president's nurse Karen Montrella of NCI's Pediatric of Philadelphia. empathy and compassion for all AIDS Branch. "l had been a patient on and off for 5 years patients, whether they're children or adults. "J couldn't believe that an 11-year-old when I was a teenager," she related, "and l "He sent a strong signal," Fauci continued, would have such an awareness o[ the social had rerrible nursing care.·· "chat he fully understands chat the virus is che implications of her diagnosis," said Montrella, The awful care she received as an orthopedic enemy, not the people who have the disease." who repaired co her head nurse's office with patient undergoing body cases and rehabilita Particularly moving was Bush's participa tears in her eyes after the incident. tion prompted her, at age 18, to seek a career tion in a support group meeting for adults That exchange between Montrella and a in nursing. with AJDS on the I Ith floor of the Clinical patient named Andrea was a turning point in "I knew how much of a d ifference it made Center. the nurse's li fe. The phrase " J Am Still Mc," if someone nice and who was good at their job "The discussion was very open an<l frank," has become the title of an AJDS education rook care of you," she said. fauci recalls. "The president wanted co hear book Moocrclla wroce for fourth, fifth aod sixth graders. (See BOOK, Pa.ge 4) <See BUSH, Pa.ge 6) pagt 2 ~Record J.inuary 2.l, 1990 KING somebody, bur char they are somebody. Dr. Hooks mentioned char blacks muse be about Louis Sullivan, a black physician from rhe business of building coalitions and (Continued from Page JJ Georgia, now is head of che Department of reminded listeners of their responsibility co Health and Human Services. That means he one anocher. some difficult ti mes," Hooks said seriously. conrcols the second largest budget in govern "Nothing chat black folks wane in chis Then he continued, teasingly, "l cau cell we ment, behind defense. world can they get by themselves," he said. are in <lifficulc times righr now by che amount "Oprah Winfrey is queen of daytime televi "Stop hating others. God has made some good you all have been giving to the NAACP." sion, Bill Cosby is k ing of primetimc and people of every race. He's made some devils of Two g roups of excremisrs are especially dis Arsenio Hall is raking over nighttime," Hooks every race, too. turbing ro Hooks- chose who think chat continued. "We have a !or co be proud of." "Remember char freedom is not free. The racism is dead and chose who chink chat If his previous remarks shed light on rhe service we render is che rent we pay on the chings now are as bad as chey ever were. accomplishments of blacks, Hooks' nexc words space we occupy on God's earch. " A11 of you who complain now ought to case a soberiug shadow on ground blacks have "And finally, l would be remiss if I didn't have been there when it was really rough," he yer to gain. say something about che grearesr insrirurion declared, rewording a few familiar lines from According co him, 6 l percent of babies God created-the black church," he con British author Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two born co blacks in chis country are born to sin tinued, smiling. "I know where some of you Citiu. "These are the best of times; these are gle parent families and 20,000 black men meer God these days-on the golf course or the worse of times." bee ween ages l8 and 34 were ki lied Jase year, the tennis court or bedside Bapcisc." Hooks, encouraging listeners co cake note of most by ocher black men. Hooks concluded, "I was g ifted co know how far blacks have progressed, mentioned "le is nor acceptable for us co practice gen and privileged co walk with Marcin Luther chat blacks now control $230 billion of the ocide on each ocher," he said. "We muse King and J can remember what he said on gross national produce and have more than a prepare ourselves to live in chis world. We've that stormy Memphis night. He said, 'I may million scudencs in postsecondary e<lucation . goc co arm ourselves with intelligence and nor ger there with you, bur you're going to facilities. knowledge. There is a power of God in us gee there. Mine eyes have seen che g lory.' " " Noc black power, nor white power, nor char can overcome if we give ic a chance." The program also included several musical soul power," he intoned, "bur green power According co Hooks, Marcin Luther King, selections by the 12-membcr D.C.