Partners of the Heart tells the story of Vivien Thomas and Alferd Blalock, whose discoveries saved the lives of thousands of "blue babies" -- Children born with a deadly heart defect. The men's stunning success ushered in a new era of cardiac medicine and launched modern heart surgery. At age 19, with only a high school degree and at a time when his color barred him from being treated in many hospitals, overlooked American story of personal triumph.
[Description from VHS cover] Against the backdrop of segregation, a Black carpenter's apprentice with a genius for surgery and a white surgeon who dared to defy medical gospel forged a partnership that changed the course of medical history. With only a high school degree, Vivien Thomas became a cardiac pioneer and a teacher to two generations of American's premiere heart surgeons at a time when he himself could not become one. His journey is a compelling, often overlooked American story of personal triumph.