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As many of you have certainly noticed I have a little mystery I am trying to solve and have posted several questions here in hope that someone with more genealogical experience than I might have some answers. In my last thread, I had solicited information on a Thomas Healey, but I have seen evidence that this particular Thomas Healey cannot be the right man. The man I am seeking died in 1939 and this man apparently lived until 1967.
I do have some new possibilities and thought it might be helpful to post a little background information on my purpose for these questions. I am researching a book detailing a pioneering surgery that occurred in March 1937. The name of the first patient to undergo this surgery is, in my opinion, important to the story. I have made attempts through the hospital where this operation was performed but they claim that this is information protected under the HIPPA act, even though the surgery was 70 years ago and all the participants are dead.
Despite the refusal to share information regarding the patient, I do have clues to his identity from the surgeon’s published writings on this subject. I know the following.
The patients was male
The patient’s last name was Healey (as recorded by surgeon)
He was 43 years old in March 1937
He died sometime in 1939 (The surgeon wrote that he died 2 ½ years after the March 1937 operation)
I have a photograph of the patient.
There are other clues, such as the manner in which he entered the hospital, which indicate that he likely lived in the Baltimore area.
I have searched the online death index for Baltimore for the year 1939 and found four possibilities. Oddly, all the Healeys in the index for 1939 are spelled Healy. So I am faced with the questions, are the names in the index spelled correctly or incorrectly, or did the surgeon, or his typist record the name incorrectly? I have found other small errors in his (the surgeon) writings before, such as dates being off or recorded slightly different on other documents. Additionally, as Healey appears to be a more common spelling I find it unusual that all six entrees (2 females 4 males) are all spelled Healy. Could the clerk simply have recorded the name the way they thought is should have been spelled?
My four new possibilities are the following people.
James P. Healy died March 26th, 1939
Martin B. Healy died August 31st, 1939
Thomas Healy died October 17th, 1939 (please note, the Thomas Healey I previously listed did not die on October 17th, 1939. That date apparently referred to this man. Two men with the same name caused me some confusion)
Bernard L. Healy died November 17th, 1939
Does anyone have any of these people in their family tree, or have they come across them in their research? Ideally, thought I know it is unlikely, I would like to find a living relative who might remember one of these men and able to confirm that they were the patient. A relative, who, I hope, might have letters or even a photograph that I could compare to mine. This particular surgery would have been a major event in the life of this man and his family. In fact, having experienced the same surgery myself some 65 years later I can assure you that he talked about it very frequently until his death. So, in my opinion it is very possible that stories of this event still survive in this man’s family yet today.
Anyone have any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions?
Thanks
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