I was born in 1946 and was a Forsyth kid in the 1950s. In the days when doctors made house calls, our family doctor, Dr. Drake, discovered that my very high fever was due to a dental abscess (he had help in making his diagnosis). I wiggled my front tooth for him and said, "Look" in a pitiful voice. Dr. Drake knew that I was quite sick and he sent me to see the dentists at The Forsyth clinic for children in Boston. I had been going to The Forsyth for dental care for several years.
I had a bad infection that had spread to the bone. I was just 10 years old when the doctors at The Forsyth performed a root canal. In those days, The Forsyth was for families without very much money. We paid for our dental visits by dropping a dime in the little tin box on the receptionist's desk. The dental clinic was staffed by doctors and dental students from Tufts University and the medical clinic was staffed by doctors and medical students from Harvard. I only saw the Harvard group once a year for an annual physical, and I absolutely hated waiting for my exam in crinkly paper slippers that kept falling off my feet. And even though 50 years have flown by, it seems to me the only book they had to read in that waiting room was The Pied Piper of Hamlin. Now, what is that telling little kids?
Anyway, the dental clinic was different. I was there frequently, and the dentists would try to minimize any anxiety by doing things like attaching two lilttle cotton balls on the drill wire and telling their young patients to forget about the drilling and watch the little bunnies chase one another as the drill wire whirred around. One young Indian dentist who I saw often before my surgery (and for awhile afterwards) used to tell me stories about his hero, Mahatma Gandhi. He used to ask me what I was going to be when I grew up. Usually, it was a cowgirl. He always listened very respectfully. He listened as if he thought that would be a very good occupation for a little girl from North Weymouth, Massachusetts.
One day, however, I told him that when I grew up I was going to write about heroes and heroines and help children as he did. He was every bit as respectful as he was on the days I talked about being a cowgirl. Today, I’m the editor at the National Head Start Association. We, at NHSA, are advocates for low-income children and families across America. I'd like to think that I also write about heroes and heroines for children to read about in magazines such as Cricket and Highlights.
I’ve often thought about that young dentist and wished he knew the impression he made on a little girl with his stories of Gandhi. He certainly helped encourage a budding children’s advocate.
Sixteen months ago, I decided to Google The Forsyth. I was surprised to find a very impressive research site. I was even more surprised to see a category at the top of the page with the title "Were You a Forsyth Kid?" Well, of course I was. So I wrote back to the Forsyth about that young Indian doctor who inspired me as a child. Not long after, I received a letter from Pramrod Soparkar, D.D.S. -- my Dr. Soparkar!
Dr. Soparkar (my hero) still works at The Forsyth Institute, which is now a leading global research center. Dr. Soparkar told me that in the 1950s Forsyth shifted its focus from the treatment of oral diseases to research. In 2004, the Forsyth was the number one research institute funded by the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research. That same year, the Forsyth Board of Trustees authorized the creation of the Center for Children's Oral Health. Dr. Soparkar is a hero I won't ever forget.
Note: Dr. Scott McQuiston (my dentist) told me about a program called Give Kids a Smile, which is organized through the American Dental Association and the Colgate Foundation. Every February, dentists and other dental professionals, donate their services to Head Start children and other low-income children who would otherwise have no access to dental care. Dr. Soparkar's good example and his legacy go on.
For materials in several languages, visit the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center.