His efforts are tireless and his reputation well-known not only to his worldwide colleagues but many PWDs and to parents who wait for a cure. He works in the lab, lectures worldwide and yet, still finds the time to speak to those with a full heart investment interest in finding a cure for diabetes.
Here he lectures and states on a two-year project to , “……learn how to transform an academic institution into a CURE FOCUSED Machine……”
Because it is that important to him that a cure for diabetes be found.
He has been published in over 600 scientific publications and issued 11 patents, and yet one is struck at seeing their child’s picture on the wall in his office to continually remind him of why he is at this mission day in and day out.
His official title is the Stacy Joy Goodman Professor of Surgery, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Microbiology and Immunology, and serves as Scientific Director and Chief Academic Officer of the University of Miami Diabetes Research Institute. What is interesting about that title is it bears the name of a child who lost her battle with diabetes, Stacy Joy Goodman; again an ever reminder of the laser focus he needs to stay.
(Stacy and I spoke, and were together, as she bounced out of my office with the exuberance of a teenager with a lifetime ahead of her; just two days later she would be gone forever)…..her name in this man’s title is as powerful as his scientific findings and says mountains about how important he takes his challenge.
His lives by his own words; “We will cure diabetes, this is not a prediction, it is a promise.”
He is my friend, my colleague, and he (along with his incredible and entire team) represents the hope for my 2 children and why I come to work EVERY DAY for this place.
He is Dr. Camillo Ricordi and he is Diabetesdad’s T.G.I.F. Take a bow Dr. Ricordi.
2 replies on “T.G.I.F. (Thanking Great Individuals Forever)”
Thank you Tom for writing such a beautiful note. I just follow my heart which is energized more than ever … I am also one of those “all or nothing” kind of people and that is why I am so intense in pursuing our mission. If you feel the way I do, it absorbs every drop of your energy and people like you and the pictures you mentioned that I have in my office who recharge my batteries every time I hear from them or I look at them ( in the case of the pictures 🙂 . We have a great team and we’ll get the job done. Thank you for your friendship and support. Camillo
Thank you for responding Dr. Ricordi; we ALL appreciate your dedication.