Nothing in his worst nightmares could have prepared Ben Levinson for what befell him in 1952 as a twenty-three-year-old medical student. With legs paralyzed from poliomyelitis, he wondered how he could function as a doctor. And how could he marry, have a family, teach his children how to kick a ball or swing a bat?
When Ben was ten years old, his Uncle Abraham came to live with his family after escaping Nazi Germany in 1939. He had been a physician in the slums of Hamburg, ministering to the city's poor. He became Ben's role model and counsel as he fulfilled his dream to be a doctor. With help from his parents and wife, Ben rose above his disability and shaped new paths in pediatrics. He raised awareness of underappreciated pediatric conditions: lead poisoning, child abuse and neglect, malnutrition, toxic childhood ingestions, injuries arising from defective products, and developmental disorders.
Ben was admired for his devotion to patients, boundless energy, and comprehensive knowledge. He was considered "the pediatricians' pediatrician." And like his Uncle Abraham, Ben delivered optimal medical care to children of the inner-city poor. Most of all, he was respected for his resilience in the face of adversity. His pioneering efforts to eradicate childhood lead poisoning set new standards for community and public health. He married outside of his religion and raised two children with his Irish Catholic wife, Cathy. Their wedded lives were successful by virtue of flexible and supportive parents and the couple's dedication, courage, and determination.
