Dr. Steven E. Kopits, a Modern Miracle Maker January 27, 2007
Posted by Dr. Bertalan Meskó in genetics, Health, Invention, Medicine, Prevention, science.trackback
I would like to present you a man who is considered as a real miracle maker, the saver of the little people: Dr. Steven E. Kopits (July 17, 1936 – June 18, 2002). He had deep roots in Central Europe as he was born in Hungary. After the turbulent years of World War II, they’ve settled in Argentina where he received a solid Jesuit education in which he demonstrated academic excellence. In the 80s, with the establishment of the International Center for Skeletal Dysplasia, as its founder and director, at the St. Joseph Medical Center, Steven had become fully absorbed with his lifetime passion: the caring and healing of little people. – George, the brother said in Steven’s eulogy.
Dr. Kopits is the pioneering orthopaedic surgeon who devotes his entire medical practice to the treatment of persons with Skeletal Dysplasia, usually referred to as Dwarfism. Patients come from all over the world seeking Dr. Kopits’ expertise and compassionate medical care.
There are plenty of amazing stories from his patients. Here is an example: Juliana and Katia DeSouza were born with diastrophic dysplasia caused by genetic dwarfism. Juliana needed an extensive help to be able to walk, to drive, to care of herself.
Dr. Kopits decided to waive his fee for Juliana’ s care. He also convinced the hospital to accept Juliana as a charity case. The cost of the surgery was about’ $350,000 — a price the DeSouzas could never afford on their own. Juliana’ s hips, knees, ankles and feet were re-constructed so she could walk.
According to an other story, Leah Chorniak was diagnosed with dwarfism.
Leah was 5 years old then, and had already had five operations that failed to correct her crippling bowed legs. Dr. Kopits told the girl’s parents of the hardships to come: a series of operations and painful physical therapy that would span a decade. But he also showed the couple a photograph of one of his many patients who had undergone treatment and gone on to college.
Now she said she expected to be mobile and through with her surgery within a year.
Dr. Kopits, the 6-foot-2 (188 cm) surgeon who is the director of the International Center for Skeletal Dysplasia and had about 1,800 patients undergoing treatment, said:
If they dropped us on another planet where everybody was short, they’d think we were the weird ones. We just wanted to get across the idea that little people are important as people, not more important, not less important than other people, but as important.” ‘It Really Isn’t’ a Tragedy’.
The first doctor who breaks the news of dwarfism should tell the parents that it appears a tragedy, but it really isn’t. So I tell them, ‘Your child will be able to walk and drive a car and keep a house and have a family.’
But maybe what is the most important is that Dr. Kopits did not try to make dwarfs taller, he rejected bone-stretching techniques as unsafe and unproven.
He calls his treatment ”planned management,” scheduled around strategically planned ”surgical windows,” points in a dwarf’s life when operations will do the most to prevent deformity, paralysis or crippling. Treatment of the condition, he said, had been based on ”crisis management,” given only after disabilities became evident. But signs of the problem typically show up 10 years earlier, he said, and prompt treatment during skeletal development is critical to prevent long-term disabilities.
He was a miraculous man, just take a look at some of his patients words about him.
I met him when I was 3 years old. Throughout the years he became a dear friend of mine. He was no longer just my doctor but someone in whom I confide and talk to about anything. Unfortunately, on June 18th, 2002 he passed away from brain cancer. It is difficult to put into words what a great man he was and how he enriched my life.
There’s much to admire about a man who gave so much. So many people working quietly all their lives, making things work for the rest of us. It’s humbling to think about such individuals.
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Yes humbling, that’s the best word for it. It wasn’t easy to write about such an exceptional man. I couldn’t even include everything…
This man transformed my daughter. He loved her so much, and we loved him back. When Dr. Kopits died, I cried more at funeral than I did for my own father in 2000. Steve Kopits should always remain in our memories as a man who went through many struggles, but spent so many years saving lives.
Thank you for your comment! Your words just prove it again what a wonderful person he was.
Dr. Kopits was our giant protector against the afflictions we would face. He gave us the physical and emotional peace of mind to live normal, well spirited lives. I owe a large deal of my happiness to this man, and I am devastated that I never got to shake his hand and give him a hug for the way he gave me hope as a child. Call it selfish, but I really wish he knew how big a part of my childhood he was.
I just found out about Dr. Kopits passing today (Oct 1, 2007) from an Orthopedic doctor I now see. I really loved him too just as so many of us had. I didn’t have Achodroplasia but severe knock knees. Because of Dr. Kopits and his staff who cared for me so many years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to work for 27 years in my profession. I remembered the last time I saw him at age 18 (I’m now 50), he said that I have become a beautiful young lady. I’ll never forget this wonderful compassionate man who had an enormous talent. As the spiritual hymn says: “May the work I’ve done speak for me”…. truly speaks for Dr. Kopits.
I was going through some old files when I came across a letter Dr. Kopits wrote to me after my precious little daughter, Carly, died. She was a diastrophic dwarf and saw Dr. Kopits one time in Baltimore. He was absolutely wonderful with her.
I decided to look him up on the net after I read the letter and was so sad to see that he had passed away.
He truly was a very special, caring man and will always hold a special place in my heart.
Im proud to be a godson of dr. kopits, and i would like to say that my father is trying his best to keep dr. kopits’s work going
dr. kopits was a great man.
Alex, thank you so much for sharing this with us.
I’m a great admirer of Dr. Kopits!
I was Dr Steven Kopits patient since I was born 1983. I owe a lot of thanks for all the good things he has done for me for many years of my growing years. Dr. Steven Kopits was like a father to me, always taking care of all of his (children) pateints with great honor. He didn’t look at has his patients like we were patients in the hospital, he treated us like we were his own children. If it wasn’t for Dr. Steven Kopits I wouldn’t be here today. He has saved my life many times, he even flew from the states to Canada Manitoba to save my life when my hallow fell off and my mom was holding my kneck to be stable for 2 days till Dr. Steven Kopits came to do surgury on my parents, parents kitchen table to save my life.
I remember so many good things about him, he has made my dreams come true when I always wanted to feel like a star. When I was gonna go home from being in the hospital over a year he actually had a white limosine waiting for me at the front door to take me to the airport. Dr. Steven Kopits is the man with many good smiles, always thought for others. Has always donated many of his time around him…never once did he think of himself.
If I could take back any life in this world, I do anything in world to get Dr. Steven Kopits back. I really honestly don’t believe there could be a doctor as good as he was.
When I found out he passed on, my heart teared up to pieces. I was going to invite him to my grade 12 graduation at my high school back in 2002. I really wanted him to know “look at me now” that I am alive and well.
If Dr. Steven Kopits family is reading this, please know that I have all my prayers towards you all because I know he talked about you all very much. He loves you all just the same
. I know that Dr. Kopits will never be forgotten. All of the memories will always be treasured by all his patients he had in his life. I know in my heart he has earned his wings with the heavenly father with great honor.
I just hope one day a doctor out there will have the same practice as Doctor Kopits did, because now I don’t have a doctor that has a clue what Kniest Syndrome is.
If any of you read this please email me at Nightwatchers08@yahoo.com and let me know who your doctor is so I can continue taking care of my health. I know Dr. Kopit will not be happy to see his patient not keeping up with the health.
Now I live in the states so it is much easier for me to travel. Once again I am thankful to have a wonderful doctor that has so much heart and love he did for everyone
Preciso de algum contato com médicos que deram sequência ao trabalho do Dr. Kopits. Tenho 2 filhos com Displasia diastrófica.
Dr.Kopits was a wonderful man and a great doctor it has been over 15 years since I last saw him at Baltimore at St.josephs hospital.I have achondroplasia as my type of dwarfism but thanks to Dr. Kopits I can finally walk straight!! It has been 22 years since I had my operation and he even let me keep my bones. I remember all the visits seeing Dr. Kopits and his accent saying 20 20 while he was measuring me. I miss him dearly and will always be in my thoughts and heart of LPA Like the saying always says “THINK BIG”
I too am a KopitsKid. One of his former patients. I had been a patient of his for over 20 yrs and had ALL my orthopedic surgeries performed by him.
There is never gonna be a doctor like him in my life, one who understands and sees beyond what is currently being presented. Specifically for those with Morquio Syndrome.
He has always been my hero, a guiding force that was always able to calm my fears, dry my tears and let me know that together we could face the challenges – no matter what their size was.
He instilled in me a chance to become someone special, the ability to educate others about dwarfism and the chance to have a future. I am now 31 yrs old and without his help, guidance, understanding and expertise I would never had made it this far in life.
Thank you Dr. K, to his wonderful family for sharing such a wonderful, gentle, kind hearted man with us, for the long hours and timeless traveling he did when he could have been home with all of you. Because of your unselfish love, you gave me my life, hope and a future where I am able to walk, stand tall and be proud of who I am.
I can never forget you, and your memory and legacy will continue to live on in the lives of those who know you so well.
Thank you for impacting my life and I miss you so much!
My experience with Dr Kopits goes back to his days as chief of orthopaedics at Johns Hopkins. In 1971 my general practitioner, Dr Lawrence Pack (sadly, also deceased at far too young an age) discovered a tumor in my left tibia. In a matter of a day or two I found myself under Dr Kopits’ care.
As others have said, his gentleness, concern and extraordinary professional competence were immediately apparent. He spared no effort in making sure I was admitted (“We’ll put you in the maternity ward, if that’s what it takes”) and in making sure the diagnosis was thoroughly considered by the best pathologists in the world, ultimately Dr. Lent Johnston at Armed Forces.
In those days analysis of bone tumors was, as an orthopaedist of my acquaintances says, “pretty much voodoo” (Stanford’s pathologist opined that I had a deadly Ewing’s Sarcoma) and it was only over the passing years that I came to realize how fortunate I was that my leg was not amputated as a matter of precaution, which was pretty much standard practice forty years ago.
I was blessed to run into Dr Kopits at BWI airport in the mid-eighties and to tell him how grateful I was for his care. As anyone who is reading this page can easily imagine, he seemed as pleased and moved to see me as I was to see him.
That was one of his many gifts. I am saddened to learn of his passing, but grateful for this place to share my feelings about such an exceptional man.
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