On April 1, 1950, Charles Drew unfortunately died in a car accident. He fell asleep while driving to a conference with three other doctors in the car. He was taken to a hospital that accepted both “black” and “white” patients. The doctors who survived the crash say that Drew had the best medical care at that time. His body was laid to rest at the Lincoln Cemetery in Maryland. Eleanor Roosevelt and vice-president Hubert Humphrey praised him and entered his obituary in the Congressional Records stating that Dr. Drew was a man of “scientific devotion and integrity.”
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Charles Drew was able to leave “lifesaving techniques in the field of blood preservation and delivery” for the next generation. His goal to train young African American doctors to be highly skilled was achieved. Other people from around the world wanted him to come to their hospitals to make improvements and suggestions.
Today, we can see the impact and the medical advances that Drew left in the field of medicine. His life, goals and achievements can inspire and grow the interests of young African American children who have an inclination in medicine. “Each man’s job is not just his job alone, but a part of the greater job whose horizons we at present can only dimly imagine." |