Born in 1910 in poor rural Louisiana, Vivien Thomas lived a life and overcame obstacles hard to fathom today.

Michael Schirmer, 66, an Essex father of two and grandfather of two more, is thankful he did.

Thomas, despite the overt racism of the time and hopes of a college education further withered by The Great Depression, pursued an extraordinary career in medicine. Thomas, who was black, was a pioneer with Dr. Alfred Blaylock and cardiologist Helen Taussig in the breakthrough “Blue Baby” heart surgery and his career culminated in an honorary doctorate from Johns Hopkins in 1976. Thomas also was appointed to the Johns Hopkins Medical School faculty as instructor of surgery that year, but he passed away in Baltimore in 1985 as an unknown hero.

Schirmer was a 5-year-old, congenital “Blue Baby” (so-named because children’s lips, finger and toe nails would literally turn blue from a lack of oxygen running to the heart) in 1945 when Blaylock performed the life-saving artery surgery that Thomas helped research and perfect on laboratory dogs.

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“If it wasn’t for Vivien Thomas and that operation, I’d have been dead in a matter of months,” said Schirmer, an employee with the Baltimore City Department of Public Works.

Thomas didn’t just assist in surgery, he is also credited with invented various clamps and tools used in the surgeries.

At the Baltimore County Public Library in Essex, librarian Felecia Diggs put together an exhibit that includes Thomas’ actual surgical instruments, photographs, personal and biographical items. The 2003 PBS documentary, “Partners of the Heart” is on view continuously as part of the display. The 2004 HBO movie “Something the Lord Made” is also available. The title comes from Blaylock’s reaction, “It feels like something the Lord made,” after running his fingers across canine arteries Thomas had repaired.

Schirmer heard about the exhibit and planned to visit the library Thursday evening.

“I was ‘Blue Baby’ No. 28,” said Schirmer, who was profiled in Life Magazine with the surgeons. “No. 27 and No. 29, I know, did not survive a long time. We did not have a long life expectancy.

“The kids in the hospital — we slept in oxygen tents — called Mr. Thomas the ‘pricker man’ because he was the one that came around and took our blood samples. All I can say now is that I’m grateful.”

rcassie@baltimoreexaminer.com