Hobart "Hobe" Wiltse, M.D., Ph.D. (1932 - 2007)Editors note: Next week, I will be on vacation. Look for the next article in July. Have a great Independence from fear, uncertainty and doubt!
This week I have been gaining new insight on my life, birth, and story of my family. It has been insightful, and after retelling the story to my friend Pat, we realized that this story should be recorded, written and published. I think this may be a long project, but a worthwhile one.
One of the reasons during my podcast interviews that I ask my subjects "What stories do you remember from your birth?", is that my own birth story was quite a drama, that still affects me on a daily basis. I once heard that "miracle births" mean that the child will do something miraculous in life. While I am unsure that I agree with this statement, it shows that miracles still happen, and this is a wonderful thing. I will attempt today to give a snippet of the story, focusing on one of the characters who made it all possible. No other notes, check-in or diary today, there is time for that later.
Motivation
"What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?"
~Dr. Robert Schuller
~Dr. Robert Schuller
Thanks to my Mom for notifying me of this news. In order to fully understand how this post relates to "the Renaissance Man project.", well, I am not really sure how to frame this post. This post may wander into technical biological stuff, and some of it, I just need to get written down, so this is a start. Let me frame this using the email message from my Mom:
The Message:
While downloading family photos from the past days, I decided to read the newsletter Dad gets from UNMC each week. Inside was this article. I hope you can print it and read it. (attached below in this post)Dr Wiltse (and another doctor) were the diagnostic and attending doctors for you at UNMC. I so wanted to share your latest Renaissance with this wonderful Dr. Wiltse…and now we will not be able to. He would be very proud of your progress…as we are!
Mom.
5 days after being born, I was moved to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, as I had jaundice skin and enlarged abdomen. I had not left the hospital from the birth, and my conditions were worsening. The threat of a major snowstorm bearing down caused the physicians to want to quickly move me to the UNMC for further observation. My mother and father, through snow, flat tire, and late night conditions, made it to Omaha, only to be confronted with the potential loss of their baby son.
*Right here was a bunch of really interesting and cool stuff which in itself is a novel worth of information. I will skip the drama for now, and go straight to the point.*
About this time, Dr Hobart E Wiltse, who technically on a 2-week vacation, was called in to look at my case. After some testing and diagnosis, Dr Wiltse committed to being my advocate and personal physician. He made the connection that I had (and still have) a metabolic genetic disorder named "Galactosemia". The solution was fairly simple - stop ingesting any milk or whey-based food items.
When ingesting lactose (e.g., dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter), a normal body breaks the lactose down into both galactose and glucose. Glucose is sugar used by the body for energy. Glactose is a simple sugar (monosaccharide) that, before it can be used by the body for energy, must be changed into glucose by the liver.
Galactosemia means too much galactose in the blood caused by the individual "missing" the enzyme (known as GALT) to convert galactose into glucose. This accumulation of galactose is a poison to the body and can cause serious complications such as the following and if untreated, as high as 75% of infants will die. Treatment requires the strict exclusion of lactose/galactose from the diet.
Dr Hobe dedicated himself to being my metabolic doctor , and quickly changes for the better were seen for the myself and my family.
Dr Hobe also was a strong supporter for genetic testing of newborns, to help other parents understand rare metabolic disorders. Diagnosis of most metabolic disorders, including galactosemia, is usually made within the first week of life by blood test from a heel prick as part of a standard newborn screening.
Historically, states did not all do newborn metabolic screening, and no standard testing was in place. Some institutions leave it up to the clinicians and parents to decide to test for disorders, based on their observations. I believe this has changed, due to many parents organizations who felt more research was required.
Currently, all 52 united states screen babies for Galactosemia. Unfortunately no uniform methodology is employed. It is necessary to test not only for GALT but for total galactose (Galactose and Gal-1-P) as well inorder not to miss any case. A Beutler's spot test screens and removes all normal babies from the group and the rest are subjected to a florometric GALT and GAL-1-P and both results are reported. This is necessary because GALT is very sensitive to heat and humidity and often get denatured.
Rama Chandran, Ph.D., H.C.L.D., C.C(ABB)
Georgia Public Health Lab
*By no means is this the end of the story, or the entire story itself, but this gives a good idea of where Hobart Wiltse fits in. Following is the article that my mother sent me. I really enjoy the description of Hobe and that he was recognized by others as a "Renaisance Man". Funny that I have been thinking and discussing "What it is to be a Renaisance Man?" One of the men who saved my life as a child was one!*
The article:
Funeral services held Monday for Dr. Wiltse
by Tom O’Connor, UNMC public affairs
Date Published: Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Funeral services were held Monday, June 11, 2007 in Omaha for Hobart "Hobe" Wiltse, M.D., Ph.D., retired professor in the UNMC Department of Pediatrics, who died on June 6 from lung cancer.
Dr. Wiltse, 75, retired in 2002 after 37 years on the faculty. He was well known for his caring demeanor and for giving his time to students and patients, said Bruce Buehler, M.D., professor and chairman of the UNMC Department of Pediatrics and director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute.
"Hobe was a teacher's teacher," Dr. Buehler said. "He was a Renaissance man. He loved photography and music and even built his own organ. He had so many interests that were reflected back in his teaching."
Three months ago, Dr. Wiltse donated 19 of his favorite photographs to the department of pediatrics. The photographs, which feature 18 photos of animals and one plant shot, are hanging in the main hallway of the pediatrics department on the fifth floor of University Tower.
Dr. Buehler said the UNMC Pediatrics Department recently created the first annual Hobart Wiltse Teaching Award. It will be given to outstanding teachers in pediatrics and is voted upon by students, residents and faculty.
Two UNMC pediatricians, Sharon Stoolman, M.D., and Carl Gumbiner, M.D., received the award this year. Dr. Wiltse helped select the criteria for the award, which will continue into "perpetuity," Dr. Buehler said.
During his career, Dr. Wiltse focused on caring for children with inherited metabolic disorders. For 25 years (1969-1994) he oversaw the eight-week clerkship program for the third-year medical students and the electives program for fourth-year medical students.
He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1953 and earned his medical degree (1958) and Ph.D. in biochemistry (1965) from UNMC. Dr. Wiltse was instrumental in pushing through mandatory newborn testing in Nebraska to detect metabolic disorders.
In 2000, the Hobart Wiltse Center for the Study of Metabolic Disorders at Children's Hospital was funded by grateful parents, Dan and Lisa Koch, for Dr. Wiltse's care of their son, Michael. This center has become an international facility providing clinical care, professional education and research in pediatric metabolic disorders.
A world traveler, Dr. Wiltse's wildlife photo collection included photos taken in Antarctica, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, California, Colorado and even his own back yard. His travels were enhanced by his ability to speak three foreign languages -- German, Russian and Italian. His love of nature was evident from the 175 rose bushes he had at his Omaha home.
With the exception of four years (1964 to 1968) when he was doing his pediatric fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University and the UCLA School of Medicine, Dr. Wiltse spent his entire career at UNMC.
A Falls City, Neb. native, Dr. Wiltse served as acting chairman of the department of pediatrics from 1975 to 1976, was assistant dean for curriculum for the UNMC College of Medicine (1976-79), and was interim director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute (1982-83).
He is survived by his wife, Margaret; two sons and their wives, John Wiltse and Melinda Knox, Lake Oswego, Ore., and Todd Wiltse and Linda Rosul, Chicago; a sister, Roberta Wiltse, Los Angeles; a sister-in-law, Joyce Wiltse, Falls City; nieces and nephews.
You can read more about Dr Wiltse here He has been an angel for many lives. I enjoyed reading these tributes, and am inspired to continue doing "Renaissance projects" as a part of my daily life.
Funny that just yesterday, I was confronted with the question "What would you want your eulogy to say?" Refer to the article above again, and note my bold markings, specifically, "Caring Demeanor and taking time." Time and our Love and Care for each other are the most valuable things we will ever be able to spend. These are the types of things that I would want to have associated with me. That would be an honor.
more later,
Chazz
PS: I hit my current goal - under 297 lbs! I need to make a new goal and new rewards. Maybe next post in July, I will do a 6month review and look back- look forward on goal setting and motivation!
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