The Daily Briefing

“I JUST FINISHED SEWING UP A DEAD BOY”

Theo DouglasTue. March 18
 

This is probably the most compelling writing in today’s Press-Telegram, and online at least, it’s buried over in their Opinion coverage–when it should be out front.

It’s a story by St. Mary Medical Center trauma surgeon Mauricio Heilbron, Jr., who proves to be quite a vivid writer–and you should be warned: not only is it incredibly sad, it’s also rather gory, being the first-person story of a critical heart surgery.

The story begins with a P-T news item about the shooting death of 11-year-old Jose Luis Garcia Bailey, killed Sunday night in an apparent gang-related shooting. (Bailey’s death is also a top news story in today’s P-T.)

It continues with Heilbron, Jr. describing in detail how he operated to try to save the life of an unidentified 11-year-old boy, brought in to his hospital late Sunday with a gunshot wound to the heart.

As Heilbron, Jr. points out, he himself has a son–a five-year-old who is safely asleep at home–and whom he misses incredibly as he tries to save the life of a boy just slightly older, in his operating room.

You’ll have to read the rest, and I think you’ll want to–despite a beginning that leaves no question of an end.

The surgeon writes: “I just finished sewing up a dead boy.”

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Viewing 8 Comments

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    I have an 11 year old son. I live on 1st street at Orange (yes right down the block from "That house". My kids (again an 11 year old son & wait for it can it get scarier; yes! 13 year old daughter ) go to school on long beach blvd just south of PCH. In short; Long Beach is our home; and we don't pretend its anything but the big vibrant city it is. The kids have always been taught; don't go anywhere alone;etc etc.
    All the reasons why I wanted to raise my kids in the city (Museums in walking distance (and yes we really do go), a vibrant Jewish community, a public charter school where they were taught to think not follow; now seem naive. I never thought I could live anywhere but a city (I was born here but grew up in San Francisco) I always thought that if you do x y & z right then your kids will be ok; maybe not perfect but ok. Well today there is a mom a few blocks from me who doesn't get to yell at her son to do his homework, to come in the house she can't yell at him, or hold him, or see him grow up. She doesn't get to do these things because some stupid S.O.B. decided that shooting some people would somehow benefit him. I know that there are a lot of people who are going to say " well what was an 11 year old doing outside at 10 at night!!!) GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK! He was going across the street to get a donut with an adult (20 is still considered an adult isn't it) If he had been at the In & Out at the Circle or somewhere in Los Alamitos would anyone say anything to question the parenting of the grieving mother?) of course not; but because its Cherry & 15th then of course the Mom should have "Known" to keep her precious child under lock and key once the sun went down. Why? Because the city is too busy fighting over stupid things like whether the luggage claim at the airport should be indoors or out? Because they're figuring out how to best position themselves for state office? Because no one should ever know the pain that Jose Luis Garcia Bailey's family is going through I'm going to hope that the people in charge SNAP OUT OF IT!!!!!And do something about the small percentage of people who are ruining the lives of the rest of us.
    I have an 11 year old son. and tonight when he goes to sleep I'll probably sit and watch him breath like I did when he was new; only now I'll be afraid in a way I never thought I could be when I was trying to figure out how to hold him, how to handle teething, how to not hover. None of the books said ok; here's how to keep them alive: if anyone asks you're from "nowhere" or "I don't bang" might help; but in reality just learn to run really fast if you want to live in Long Beach and you don't happen to be in a gang.
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    You don't need to have kids to have been moved to tears by Dr. Heilbron's story. The reporters at the PT just don't capture this human element in their stories. I hope they run it again the next time an innocent kid is gunned down on the streets.
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    The LAST thing I want to do is blame the parents or make them feel worse right now, but people (Latino people especially) have GOT to stop letting their kids play outside at all hours of the night. I used to live at 11th and Ohio, and there were four-year-olds out after 11 p.m. every single night being watched by their seven-year-old sisters. Not safe. Not okay. Not. Acceptable. I'm hardly the sheltering type, but there must be more responsibility taken to keep your kids safe and okay. Yes, the boogie man can come no matter how many walls and moats you try to build, but there has to be a line, and running around at 10 p.m. for a donut is to the south of it.
    Great. Now I sound like Gordon Dillow.
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    I agree that 4 year olds should be in bed WAY before 11-but as we now know HE WAS WALKING WITH HIS MOTHER to a shop 1 block away. This is not a kids who was out 'running the streets' he was walking with his mom & sisters to the corner donut shop. Its spring break, they wanted something to drink: they should be able to do that without getting shot.
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    best thing ive read in the p-t ever.
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    At some point some parent must take some responsibility for these tragedies. I understand your position Seal, I too have children, young children. In my neighborhood there are no kid out walking with any adults this late at night; it is not spring break for his school, Hughes is still in session and started bright and early Monday morning. Walking to the donut store at 10:00 means he is in bed, at 11:00 earliest with a full week of school starting at 8:00 the next morning. That is not a school night outing most parents active in their kids education and health and welfare would allow.

    Justify, excuse, blame the city and others in the city, but at some point somewhere some responsibility must be taken by parents to understand the role of being a parent includes setting limits and boundaries for their children. This goes for the shooters parents as well--where were they when he (I am assuming) was growing up, or perhaps is still growning up? What is their responsibility? Any bets on whether the shooter was from a single parent home? I am so saddened by these children getting shot down by other children and everyone is trying to find someone else to blame. We spend millions and millions and millions more to "find a solution" but no one is willing to tell parents to have a mother and a father in the home, keep your kids at home after dinner doing school work or being with the family, don't have more kids than you can afford to shelter, clothe and most importantly feed healthy meals thrice daily. Be involved in their education, go to their school, meet with the teachers, BE A PARENT. A few years ago when the boy "Bear" I think his name was, was shot by Jordan H.S. a father stood up and said something to this effect and was booed. Booed! For asking the parents of the kids his kids went to school with to act like parents and be responsible for their kids he was booed. Why? Because they would rather blame someone else than take responsibility for their actions and mistakes. God forbid anyone not of color make the comments because then it is easy, call 'em bigots and racist and you can ignore anything they say; if people of color make the comments then you can call them traitors, oreos, or boo them into giving up. It seems those most affected would rather more kids get killed before asking any of their neighbors or family members to be responsible for their own kids, all the better if someone else can be blamed for the situation they find themselves in.

    We will read of more shootings of kids under 18 in the area this year. As have most of the killings of the past several years there will be many similar factors but the two most prevalent will be that the victim and the killer will most likely be minorities and from single parent homes. No doubt I will get beat up over stating this but look through the past shootings in the area, keep track of them through the rest of 2008 and see how many of the victims and/or shooters do not have either or both of these factors. We can continue to ignore it and shake our heads and say what a shame, the government need to do something about it. Or we can confront the parents who are having child after child out of wedlock with no father in the home and tell them to stop and be responsible to those children and try to break the cycle of single parents bringing children into a world of violence and near or below poverty.

    Good parenting and active involvement in childrens' education and upbringing occurs and leads to success in every culture, in every neighborhood, in every country. So does poor parenting and non-involvement and creating barriers for children's success. The parent(s) make that decision when they decide to have a child. We need to show some tough love and actively teach young girls not to have sex, not to have babies, not to try to raise kid(s) they will barely be able to afford and as they get older not be able to control. But we won't because it is not politically correct and parents who bring it up get booed, and website commenters who bring it up get slammed, and entertainers like Bill Cosby who bring it up get dumped on, so no one brings it up and more kids are born that face an straight up hill battle to make it to 21 much less lead a productive and successful life.

    Seal, you are right to be angry and scared; most of us are with kids in this city (most cities). But do not let your anger excuse others from their responsibilities, please that how the disease continues to spread. As I watch my daughter breath in her sleep tonight I will pray for you and your children knowing you are doing the same. I will feel the tears I shed reading Dr. Heilbron's rage and wonder how many more before we speak what needs to be spoken?

    God bless you Seal, God bless all the children in Long Beach that they may feel their fathers watching them sleep and breath every night.
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    More kids out when they should not be getting shot:

    LBPD Public Service Specialist Lisa Massacani tells LBReport.com that at about 1:30 a.m. today (March 27), shots were fired from a vehicle in the 1800 block of Gardenia Ave, striking male individuals ages 15, 16 and 22, causing NON-life-threatening wounds. (http://www.lbreport.com/news/mar08/censhts.htm)

    PCH and Gardena at 1:30 in the morning...not safe, again more kids with poor parental control/discipline making bad choices. These kids are lucky to be alive.
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    Jose....I miss you baby!!! Come home to your family!!!!
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