Cool story...
Those of you that have read The Ice Ark will recognize the name "Benirschke." Dr. Kurt Benirschke is the scientist who in the 1970s began freezing tissue samples from as many animal species as possible. At the time, he had no idea how the frozen cells could be used, but he had the foresight to do it anyway. Today, those cells that Dr. Benirschke saved are a source for great scientific discovery, including the possibility to restore endangered species. When I first read about Dr. Benirschke's work, I had no idea how to pronounce his name. I just called him "Dr. Kurt." My dad told me that he thought it was "Ben-URSH-kuh" because it was the same name of a former all-pro San Diego Chargers football player that he remembered from the late 1970s and early '80s. Recently I sent a copy of my book to the San Diego Zoo, and, to my surprise, I received an email from Rolf Benirschke, the former Chargers player, who just happens to be Dr. Kurt's son! Rolf asked to speak with me, and I was honored to do so by phone last month. It just so happens that Rolf has his own amazing story of surviving and overcoming. In 1978, following his rookie season with the Chargers, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory illness of the intestine. The following season, his condition worsened to a life threatening degree, requiring emergency surgery and a lengthy stay in the intensive care unit. When discharged from the hospital, he weighed 123 lbs! Despite this, he returned to the team in 1980 and played seven more seasons with the Chargers before retiring in 1987 as the team's all-time leading scorer. He was named "NFL Man of the Year" in 1983 and selected to the Pro Bowl. In 1997, Rolf was the twentieth player inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame. Since retiring, Rolf has continued to be an inspiration. He published a book called Alive and Kicking, is the national spokesman for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation (which my father, a GI doctor, loves), and is a frequent public speaker. He even was at one time the host for the daytime version of "Wheel of Fortune"! Maybe what I love most, as it relates to The Ice Ark, is that he has been active on behalf of endangered animals and even created the well known charity "Kicks for Critters." I really appreciate the chance to speak with Rolf and to learn more about him. It has helped make my work on The Ice Ark even more personal and meaningful for me. I look forward to hopefully working more closely with The Frozen Zoo and with Rolf in the future! Learn more about Rolf's great work at his website. Ian
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Ian UnderwoodWanna-be: ArchivesCategories |