My father honors hand center surgeon, 60 years later

Neil Gordon recently celebrated his milestone 80th birthday with a philanthropic gift to the Curtis National Hand Center at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. This philanthropic partnership became a reality after decades of gratitude. “There was a place in my heart for MedStar Union Memorial that I haven’t much thought about until now--it just hit me,” Gordon shares.

In 1956, Gordon was a fifteen-year-old teenager living in Baltimore, Maryland. After an accidental fall through a glass storm door, his left hand was severely injured and he was rushed to a local hospital. A surgeon noted that every nerve and tendon had been completely severed, and offered to perform a basic repair of the surface wound or amputate three fingers. He also made a more promising suggestion--that he knew of a local surgeon who was a pioneer in hand surgeries and rehabilitating these types of wounds. Hours later Gordon was in the office of Raymond Curtis, MD, at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.

An early visionary in the field of reconstructive hand surgery from his experience in World War II, Dr. Curtis was optimistic about the chances of saving Gordon’s fingers. Gordon explains that the doctor’s calm demeanor and positive outlook eased his fears, and the six hour surgery commenced. Following physical therapy sessions which helped him regain almost complete use of his hand, Gordon had a successful recovery and accompanied Dr. Curtis to several surgical seminars demonstrating the impressive results.

When a close friend of Gordon’s recently passed, an encounter with her physician-daughter at MedStar Union Memorial, brought his experience from over sixty years ago to the surface, stirring up memories and emotions that he had long forgotten. “Dr. Raymond Curtis, by the grace of God, happened to be in the right place at the right time and saved my left hand. I began to think of how fortunate I was. I’ve always tried to be generous in my charitable giving, which has been fulfilling, but it made me realize that I could have done much more,” Gordon says.

Gordon’s philanthropic partnership with the Curtis Hand Center honors his experience with Dr. Curtis.. “He repaired my hand all those years ago giving me a full life with full use of the hand--it had a profound effect on how my life turned out,” he says. “What a lucky man I am.”

(Original story written by Neil Gordon, edited by Stephanie Foster)