Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

Scissors.

Clamp.

O.R. Dr. Rogers for Dr. Carson.

Doctor?

Yes? Ben, it's Mark.

I need to see you up in my office.

A special-needs case just came in.

Okay. Soon as I'm done.

They were born by cesarean three months ago,

and, against all odds, they're still alive.

Their physician from West Germany called me this morning.

Occipital craniopagus twins have never both survived a separation.

Yeah. He knows that.

If they're not separated...

they'll spend the rest of their lives in bed, on their backs.

The hospital wants me to fly to Germany and examine them.

Ben, are you gonna do this?

Nobody's ever done it.

In situations like this, one baby always dies.

Welcome to Germany.

We've been anxiously awaiting your arrival, Dr. Carson.

Allow me to introduce Peter and Augusta Rausch.

Thank you for coming.

How do you do, Doctor? My pleasure.

And this is Johann and Stefan.

I wanted to kill myself when I learned the truth,

but I realized I would be killing two other beings, too.

And then, as soon as I saw them, my heart melted.

Please don't ask us to choose between them.

Well, they don't appear to be sharing any organs, which is good.

Though there are parts of the brain, such as the vision center,

that aren't completely separated.

We won't know until we get in there.

How soon can that be?

Well, first we have to solve the problem of exsanguination.

Exsan...

Bleeding to death.

It's the reason why cranial separations have never succeeded.

You see, babies have very little blood,

and unless I can figure out a way to keep them from bleeding out,

I can't risk performing this operation.

I'll do it.

Good.

Thank you. I'll notify the doctor in Germany.

We'll schedule the operation for a month from now?

Make it two. Make it four.

Still haven't figured out how to save them both?

I'm working on it.

Number 12, 14. Number 13, 27.

Number 15, 33.

All right, class, hand your test back to your neighbor.

All right, how many did you get right?

Kathy?

Twenty-five.

That's excellent, Kathy.

Mark? Thirty.

Good for you, Mark. You got them all right.

Benjamin?

Benjamin, how many did you get right?

None. Nine?

Why, Benjamin, that's wonderful. I'm so proud of you.

Not nine, Miss Williamson. He got none.

You'd think he'd get at least one right.

He got one right last time, 'cause he was trying to put down the wrong answer.

Hey, Carson, we know you're the dumbest kid in the class,

but did you hear what they said on Cronkite last night on the news?

You're the dumbest kid in the world.

He hit him! He hit him!

Bennie, how could this have been an accident?

Well, it was almost an accident.

Mom, I never would have hit him if I remembered I had the lock in my hand.

The boy had five stitches, and his parents are very upset.

I'm not sure how to discipline your son, Mrs. Carson.

I'll handle it.

I'm also very concerned about his grades.

Have you seen his latest report card?

So, what happened? You weren't getting grades like that in Boston.

Boston was easier. They didn't ask us to do much.

Well, I ain't asking you, either, I'm telling you.

You weren't meant to be a failure, Bennie.

And you can control your temper. He called me a dummy...

And you can bring your grades up, too. I know you can.

I'm dumb, Mother. No, you ain't.

You're a smart boy. Listen to me. Listen to me.

You just ain't using that smartness.

Now, if you keep getting grades like that,

you're gonna spend the rest of your life mopping floors in a factory.

And that ain't the life I want for you.

That ain't the life God wants for you, either.

Yes, Mother.

I'm gonna have to have a talk with him about you and your brother, Curtis.

No, no. He invited us to the game tonight, remember?

Why don't you and I go? And get me Candlestick Park, please.

Hey, Mother. You're home early.

They didn't need me as long as they said they would.

You finish your homework?

Most of it.

Bennie, you're gonna ruin your eyes sitting so close to this TV.

You do your homework?

I need help.

Curtis, help your brother.

I gotta finish my math.

Mother, I need help.

What you need help with?

This history. I don't really understand it.

Well, what don't you understand?

Like, all the words.

Could you read this for me?

I need new reading glasses. Why don't you tell me what it's about?

It's about Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence.

What is this word?

Sound it out.

"Self... Self..."

"And it..."

Self...

Look at me.

Can you tell me what them cereal boxes is on the shelf?

Sure.

I mean, can you read them?

Not this far. Can you?

Looks like I ain't the only one around here gonna be needing glasses.

Tina, Sarah, Kathy, Bennie.

Congratulations. You're doing much better.

Yes!

Well, it's an improvement, all right.

And I'm proud of you for not getting an F.

You're a smart boy.

But you both can do better.

I'm doing the best I can, Mother.

How? I don't know how.

Well, I don't know how.

We're just gonna have to use our imagination.

I don't got one.

Of course you do. Everybody got an imagination.

Not me.

Of course you do.

Listen to me. If I say,

"Once upon a time, there was a little blue mouse,"

don't you see a little blue mouse?

No. Bennie.

Mother, my brain's too dumb.

Boy, your brain ain't dumb.

It is, Mom.

You got all the world in here.

You just got to see beyond what you can see.

What is this, a race of some kind?

Betty, slow down.

You act as though this were your last meal.

We've got to write your contest essay tonight, Father.

Well, in that case, maybe you had better hurry.

- Don't choke. - I'll get it.

I never saw it to fail.

Every time we sit down to eat, the phone rings.

I know how to stop it, Daddy.

When the phone bill comes, don't pay it.

Not a bad idea.

That was Joe Phillips, Dad.

He wants me to come up to his uncle's farm this weekend.

Isn't that great?

But how are you gonna get there?

Joe's got a license. We could drive.

The last time he took a trip, he wrecked his dad's car.

Whose car is he figuring on wrecking this time?

Yours.

He thought...

I know what he thought.

But I wouldn't trust Joe Phillips with a pogo stick.

Please, Dad. I'll be careful.

How can you be careful if he's driving?

You never let me do anything.

I'm not gonna let you do this.

You'd think I was a juvenile or something.

When you act this way, you are.

Now eat your dinner.

I'm not hungry.

Then excuse yourself and leave the table.

Mother, come on, we'll be late for church.

You all go on ahead without me, honey.

Mama's having one of her days.

All right.

I'm reminded of the story of the missionary doctor and his wife

who were surprised by bandits.

You see, these thieves were terrible men.

Bloodthirsty. Vicious. They not only robbed their victims,

they slit their throats and laughed as they watched them die.

You all don't hear me.

This poor doctor and his wife ran for their lives

as the thieves chased them across rocky, barren land.

These missionaries' feet were cut open by sharp stones.

Their clothes were torn by brambles,

and, finally, they came upon a great fortress,

but the Bandit King was right behind them.

The doctor ran up to the front door of the fortress and tried to open it.

But it was locked.

If only someone would let them in. No one was there.

And the doctor and his wife hid,

but the Bandit King saw them and drew his sword.

There appeared to be nothing that could save God's good people.

The Bandit King was after me, and so I hid under some straw,

and a blue mouse came out and scared his horse.