News & Politics

Like Something the Lord Made; The Vivien Thomas Story

Katie McCabe's account of a black carpenter turned lab assistant whose work with white surgeon Alfred Blalock revolutionized the field of heart surgery and defied segregation-era laws.

This National Magazine Award-winning article was published in Washingtonian's August 1989 issue, where it caught the eye of Dr. Irving Sorkin. A local dentist with big Hollywood dreams, Sorkin pushed for the story to be taken to the screen for many years, finally succeeding in 2004 with the HBO film Something the Lord Made.

The film won a number of awards that year, including an Emmy for Outstanding Made For Television Movie. Credited as co-producer of the film, Sorkin was recognized with a Peabody Award.

Irving Sorkin recently passed away at the age of 88. To read the article that inspired him and others, click here.

More: