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Article: A true pioneer.(Editorials)(Artificial heart recipient Robert Tools)(Editorial)
- Article from:
- The Register Guard (Eugene, OR)
- Article date:
- December 6, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Register Guard. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: The Register-Guard
Heroes come in all sizes and shapes, and they achieve their fame in any number of ways.
Robert Tools, who died last Friday at age 59, was a medical hero. He became a pioneer whose stoic courage and will to live may have paved the way for countless heart patients to live productive lives. In July, Tools became the first-ever recipient of a fully self-contained artificial heart.
Beset by congestive heart failure, diabetes and kidney disease, Tools had been expected to live 30 days at most without the new surgery. The retired telephone company worker said he had a choice at that point "to stay home and die or come here ...