Alum's 14-year-old son develops new medical procedure

A Jacksonville researcher has developed a way of sewing up patients after hysterectomies that could reduce the risk of complications and simplify the tricky procedure for less-seasoned surgeons.

Oh, and he's 14 years old.

Feel free to read that again.

Tony Hansberry II, a ninth-grader, at Jacksonville's Darnell-Cookman Middle/High School, recently presented his findings before an auditorium filled with doctors just like any of his board-certified - and decades older - colleagues would. He would say he was following in the footsteps of "Doogie Howser, M.D." - if he weren't too young to have heard of the television show.

Instead, he says that his remarkable accomplishments are merely steps toward his ultimate goal of becoming a trained neurosurgeon.

"I just want to help people and be respected, knowing that I can save lives," said Tony, the son of a registered nurse mom and a dad who is a FAMU grad and an African Methodist Episcopal pastor.

To be sure, he had some help along the way, but, then again, most researchers do. The seeds of his project were planted last summer during his internship at the University of Florida's Center for Simulation Education and Safety Research, based at Shands Jacksonville.

Continue reading: 14-year-old med wiz