A Tribute to a Master: Professor Domingo M. Braile
There are men who fight for a day and they are good.
There are men who fight for a year and they are better.
There are men who fight many years, and they are better still.
But there are those who fight all their lives:
These are the indispensable ones.
Bertolt Brecht
The excerpt from Bertold Brecht’s play Die Mutter fits well the character Professor Braile was. A singular man, a rare, perhaps a unique combination of a highly skilled heart surgeon, a devoted professor, an adroit scientist, a successful entrepreneur and the linchpin of a loving family.
An unchallenged leader in the field of cardiovascular surgery among us and the personification of the example to be followed by the younger generation in our country. His unparalleled and extraordinary achievements in life were made possible because of his energetic, persevering, and tireless personality, where every word out of his mouth resonated his real passion for the profession.
Nicknamed “the heart mender” in his biography, his endeavor allowed the country to master the production of a wide range of cardiovascular-related medical supplies, making possible the access to heart surgery through the public healthcare system to every patient in need, regardless of how little they earned or saved. And unquestionably contributing to make the Brazilian heart surgery powerful and recognized worldwide.
