Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

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Scissors.

Clamp.

-O.R.

-Dr. Rogers for Dr. Carson.

Doctor?

-Yes?

-Ben, it's Mark.

I need to see you up in my office.

A special-needs case just came in.

Okay. Soon as I'm done.

They were born by cesarean

and, against all odds, they're still alive.

Their physician from West Germany

called me this morning.

Occipital cranopagus twins

have never both survived a separation.

Yeah. He knows that.

If they're not separated...

they'll spend the rest of their lives in bed,

on their backs.

The hospital wants me

to fly to Germany and examine them.

Ben, are you gonna do this?

Nobody's ever done it.

In situations like this, one baby always dies.

Welcome to Germany.

We've been anxiously awaiting

your arrival, Dr. Carson.

Allow me to introduce

Peter and Augusta Rausch.

Thank you for coming.

-How do you do, Doctor?

-My pleasure.

And this is Johann and Stefan.

I wanted to kill myself

when I learned the truth,

but I realized I would be killing

And then, as soon as I saw them,

my heart melted.

Please don't ask us to choose between them.

Well, they don't appear to be sharing

any organs, which is good.

Though there are parts of the brain,

such as the vision center,

that aren't completely separated.

-We won't know until we get on there.

-How soon can that be?

Well, first we have to solve the problem

of exsanguinations.

-Exsan...

-Bleeding to death.

It's the reason why cranial separations

have never succeeded.

You see, babes have very little blood,

and unless I can figure out a way

to keep them from bleeding out,

I can't risk performing this operation.

I'll do it.

Good.

Thank you. I'll notify the doctor in Germany.

We'll schedule the operation

for a month from now?

Make it 2. Make it 4.

Still haven't figured out

how to save them both, huh?

I'm working on it.

Number 12, 14. Number 13, 27.

Number 12, 14. Number 13, 27.

Number 15, 33.

All right, class,

hand your test back to your neighbor.

All right, how many did you get right?

Kathy?

-25.

-That's excellent, Kathy.

-Mark?

-30.

Good for you, Mark. You got them all right.

Benjamin?

Benjamin, how many did you get right?

-None.

-Nine?

Why, Benjamin, that's wonderful.

I'm so proud of you.

Not nine, Mss Williamson. He got none.

You'd think he'd get at least one right.

He got one right last time, 'cause he was

trying to put down the wrong answer.

Hey, Carson, we know

you're the dumbest kid in the class,

but did you hear what they sad on Cronkite

last night on the news?

You're the dumbest kid in the world.

He hit him! He hit him!

Bennie, how could this have been

an accident?

Well, it was almost an accident.

Mom, I never would have hit him

if I remembered I had the lock in my hand.

The boy had 5 stitches,

and his parents are very upset.

I'm not sure how to discipline your son,

Mrs. Carson.

I'll handle it.

I'm also very concerned about his grades.

Have you seen his latest report card?

So, what happened? You weren't getting

grades like that in Boston.

Boston was easier.

They didn't ask us to do much.

Well, I ain't asking you, either,

I'm telling you.

You weren't meant to be a failure, Bennie.

-And you can control your temper.

-He called me a dummy...

And you can bring your grades up, too.

I know you can.

-I'm dumb, Mother.

-No, you ain't.

You're a smart boy.

Listen to me. Listen to me.

You just ain't using that smartness.

Now, if you keep getting grades like that,

you're gonna spend the rest of your life

mopping floors in a factory.

And that ain't the life I want for you.

That ain't the life God wants for you, ether.

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