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"He Put Me Back Together" "
I found my miracle in a Chicago Army Surgeon, Dr.
Kelikian—who rebuilt my body and told me to make the
most of what I had. He gave back my faith in the
future." In 1947 he first visited Dr. Hampar Kelikian at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for a consultation on the recommendation of his uncle, who had been a male nurse at the 297th General Hospital where Dr. Kelikian had served during the war. Over a 7 year period, Dr. Kelikian performed seven surgeries on the young Kansas soldier, transplanting leg bone and muscle to restore limited function to Dole’s right arm and ensure the arm would be saved. As they became friends, Dr. Kelikian told him of his experiences in his native Armenia - and of family members who had been victims of the genocide. This was the beginning of Bob Dole's lifelong interest in, and commitment to human rights. "Having
been given so much by so many for so long, I have tried in
my own way to give back just a little—to be a voice for
those who were once excluded from the mainstream on account
of physical disability...to be faithful to the sacrifice of
my wartime brothers and sisters, and the selflessness of Dr.
Kelikian." |
