Gerónimo Lluberas
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José Gerónimo Lluberas Acosta | |
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![]() Dr. Gerónimo Lluberas | |
Born | 7 January 1956 |
Died | 7 May 2003 Marietta, Georgia, U.S. | (aged 47)
Nationality | Puerto Rican |
Education | Universidad Central del Caribe (MD) |
Years active | 1980–2003 |
Known for | Medical missionary to Haiti |
Medical career | |
Profession | Physician |
Institutions | Kennesaw State University, Kennestone Hospital |
Sub-specialties | Rheumatology |
Research | Gout |
Gerónimo "Gerry" Lluberas (January 7, 1956 – May 7, 2003) was a Puerto Rican physician, humanitarian, writer and composer. His medical mission work in Haiti led to the foundation of the nonprofit HERO (Health & Education Relief Organization)[1] and his music is extant through recordings[2][verification needed] and live performances.
Life and profession
[edit]José Gerónimo Lluberas Acosta was the first of four boys born to attorney Gerónimo Lluberas-Kells and artisan Clara Acosta-Recurt. He spent his early childhood in his parents' birthplace of Ponce, Puerto Rico.[citation needed] The family later settled in Carolina, near San Juan, Puerto Rico. He attended Roman Catholic parochial schools, took private accordion lessons and taught himself guitar.[citation needed] He showed an aptitude for the natural sciences, and he was eventually to earn a doctorate in medicine at the Universidad Central del Caribe in Cayey and to pursue a career as a rheumatologist.[citation needed]
He married Magali Huertas Amil in 1978 and the couple adopted two children in Bogotá, Colombia: Gerónimo Orlando in 1984 and Cristina Marcela in 1987.[citation needed]
Lluberas led an active religious life and, through his church, organized medical missions to Haiti. His first trip attracted local and international media attention when Lluberas and his team were stranded for several days in Belle Anse after roads and bridges were washed out by Hurricane Georges. They were eventually airlifted out by helicopter.[3]
Lluberas published research papers in an array of medical journals and also wrote fiction. He composed dozens of Christian songs[4] and studied painting and drawing.[citation needed]
At age 46, Lluberas was diagnosed with "unknown primary site" cancer and began chemotherapy. He died the following year. He was interred at Borinquen Memorial Cemetery in Caguas, Puerto Rico.[citation needed]
Medical career
[edit]In 1976, after completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras, Lluberas enrolled in the School of Medicine at the Universidad Central del Caribe. He was a member of the school's first graduating class, earning his MD in 1980.[citation needed]
He did his internship at Frankford Hospital, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Pennsylvania; and specialty in Rheumatology at the Veterans Administration Medical Center/University of Pennsylvania Hospital. He practiced medicine and headed the internship program at Frankford Hospital.[citation needed]
In 1985, he co-authored his first professional journal article, on clinical research related to gout.[5]
In 1988, he accepted a position at the Lupus Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He later established a private practice in Marietta, Georgia and treated patients with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Paget's disease, ankylosing spondylitis, and Sjögren's syndrome.[citation needed] He was one of the first physicians to use the Prosorba column to treat rheumatoid arthritis.[6]
He reflected his clinical experience and research interests in his professional journal writings which focused on Paget's disease,[7] gonococcal arthritis and meningitis,[8] pyoarthritis,[9] pseudolupus,[10] chronic pain[11] and rheumatoid arthritis.[12] Lluberas also taught in the Nurse Practitioner Program at Kennesaw State University[13] and was associated with Kennestone Hospital, later WellStar Kennestone.
Beginning in September 1998, Lluberas organized and led medical relief trips to Belle Anse, Haiti. During their first trip, Lluberas and his team examined about 400 patients with malnutrition, high-blood pressure, and diseases caused by poor sanitation and water pollution, and collected clinical data from 315 of these patients on hypertension prevalence.[14]
By April 2000, Lluberas and his teams had delivered basic health care to about 2,300 people in Belle Anse,[15] saved the life of a four-month-old girl with meningitis, and rehabilitated patients with major injuries.[16]
Humanitarian legacy
[edit]Lluberas wrote that, "Missionary work...[is] the only way to act when one refuses to sit by and do nothing to alleviate--however slightly--the plight [of poverty and disease] of our brethren."[16]
In late 1997, Lluberas outlined a plan for medical mission work in Belle Anse, Haiti, that included building an improvised clinic to provide pre-natal care, vaccines for childhood diseases and Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, rehydration and eye care, and making "house calls" to local chapels. He identified the lack of safe water as the town's major underlying health care problem.[17][verification needed]
While stranded in the wake of Hurricane Georges during his first mission to Belle Anse, Lluberas documented the impact of the storm on local roads, bridges, water systems, health, housing and agriculture.[18] Lluberas and his team returned to Belle Anse a year later despite safety concerns stemming from political instability in Haiti.[19][verification needed] Following his third trip, in 2000, Lluberas outlined other initiatives to aid Belle Anse including delivering clothing and equipment, fixing the town's electric generator, upgrading the water supply, building a school and developing a wharf.[15]
In June 2000, Lluberas suggested starting a nonprofit organization to fund future medical missions and sponsor a full-time doctor in Belle Anse.[20][verification needed] This proposal and Lluberas' comprehensive view of Belle Anse's needs laid the groundwork for the creation in 2003 of the nonprofit HERO (Health & Education Relief Organization) to build clinics, schools and basic infrastructure throughout the country.[21]
His humanitarian legacy is also evident in the establishment in December 2006 of the Gerónimo Lluberas Collection, a medical library at Hôpital Sacré Coeur in Milot, Haiti.[citation needed] As noted in the text of a plaque on display at the entrance to the Green Tower Satellite Medical Staff Library of WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, Georgia, the delivery of Lluberas' medical books to the hospital in Milot was made possible by Kennestone Hospital and the Pray It Forward Foundation,[22] "in loving memory" of Lluberas, "faithful servant of God, husband, father, physician, teacher and medical missionary to the people of Haiti."[citation needed]
Musical career
[edit]As a child in Puerto Rico, Lluberas studied the accordion with George Kudirka and continued his musical education with Luis Espindola.[23][24] Later, this avocation helped to pay for medical school. He played the accordion with the popular dance band "Calorías '76" which he formed and led.[citation needed]
In 1988 he composed his first piece that is still performed today, the danceable Puerto Rican Christmas song "Aguinaldo del Cañaveral."[citation needed] After joining Transfiguration Roman Catholic Church in Marietta, Georgia, in 1989, he became active in the music ministry, working with conductor Rod Voss. He also furthered his musical training, studying piano, music theory and composition.[citation needed]
Influenced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Georges Bizet, Giacomo Puccini, and forms from his native Puerto Rico, Lluberas wrote the libretto, music and lyrics for a full-length musical theatre work "Butterflies in the Rain Forest, A Christian Musical" (2001), inspired in part by his trips to Haiti.[citation needed] Lluberas also composed secular songs, including "Mendigo" and the danza "Desdeño."[citation needed]
In 2002, after he was diagnosed with cancer, he edited the songbook "Camino de Fe, Worship Compositions", a selected anthology of his works. As his illness progressed, he started work on "Suite on a Neutropenic State" for oboe, string quintet and timpani, dedicated "To all on chemotherapy and their loves ones."[25]
Posthumously, excerpts and an abridged version of "Butterflies in the Rain Forest, A Christian Musical" have been presented in concert form.[26]
In 2006, HERO Records released a CD of Gerónimo Lluberas' music titled "Butterflies in the Rain Forest/Music for Meditation & Celebration". It includes performances by, among others, singers J.J. Hobbs, Christopher Crommett and Victor Ryan Robertson.[27][better source needed]
Lluberas' song "Aguinaldo del cañaveral", in an arrangement by Gary Anderson for symphony orchestra, vocal quartet and tenor soloist, is featured on the CD "Navidad de mi niñez" which was scheduled to be released commercially in October 2011.[28] In addition, Lluberas' is credited as co-composer, along with Christopher Crommett, of the opening song of the "Navidad de mi niñez" CD, entitled "Diciembre, diciembre".[citation needed]
Religious faith
[edit]A devout Roman Catholic, Lluberas' religious beliefs are reflected in his musical compositions. He wrote his earliest known piece, "Amén Jíbaro Para el Gran Amén" (1973), to be sung as The Great Amen (The Doxology) in the Roman Catholic Mass. He based many of his songs on the Psalms,[citation needed] the Gospel of Luke[citation needed] and other Biblical texts. He composed "Meditations on Christ: I. On His Gentle Mastery", for flute and piano; "A Christian Musical" ("Butterflies in the Rain Forest"); and a celebration of the birth of Christ ("Aguinaldo del Cañaveral").[citation needed]
In several of his paintings and drawings, Lluberas depicted Jesus Christ and Mother Teresa.[29][better source needed]
After settling in Marietta, Georgia, he became active in two Roman Catholic parishes, Transfiguration and St. Ann. At Transfiguration, he helped start the Respect for Life Ministries whose "womb to tomb" resources would range from pregnancy counseling to caring for the elderly.[30]
Lluberas advocated Perpetual Adoration and the saying of the Rosary.[citation needed] He was a strong proponent of the power of prayer. He participated in prayer teams at Charismatic movement healing Masses. He led his medical team in prayer when the group was stranded in Belle Anse in the wake of Hurricane Georges. He said later, "the Lord was present all the way, every moment."[citation needed]
During another visit to Belle Anse, Lluberas prayed before he performed a delicate procedure to remove a foreign object embedded in the cornea of an eight-year-old boy's eye. Despite Lluberas' lack of surgical training, the operation was a success and the young patient's sight was saved.[16]
In 2000, Lluberas received the "Lumen Gentium" (Light of the People) award from Transfiguration Catholic Church,[31][verification needed] Late in his life, Lluberas taught high school catechism.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ Poole, Sheila M. (February 11, 2007). "Nonprofit steers aid projects in Haiti". The Atlanta Journal Constitution. p. ZG5. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
- ^ "Gerónimo Lluberas: Butterflies in the Rain Forest / Music for Meditation & Celebration" (HERO Records 37 101 23752); "St. Ann's Opera Night: Fantasy & Faith" (live recording January 10, 2004); et al.
- ^ Williams, Clint (September 26, 1998). "Hurricane Georges: Cobb medical team stuck in Haiti". The Atlanta Journal Constitution. p. A06. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
- ^ Gerónimo Lluberas, "Camino de Fe: Worship Compositions", 2002, et al.
- ^ Bomalaski, John S.; Lluberas, Geronimo; Schumacher, H. Ralph (December 1986). "Monosodium urate crystals in the knee joints of patients with asymptomatic nontophaceous gout". Arthritis & Rheumatism. 29 (12): 1480–1484. doi:10.1002/art.1780291209. ISSN 0004-3591. PMID 3801071.
- ^ "New Hope for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients" (Press release). Fresenius HemoCare, Inc. September 17, 1999.
It offers a bright new promise to those that are otherwise unresponsive to this dreadful disease.
- ^ Lluberas-Acosta, G; Hansell, JR; Schumacher HR, Jr (December 1986). "Paget's disease of bone in patients with gout". Archives of Internal Medicine. 146 (12): 2389–92. doi:10.1001/archinte.1986.00360240121021. PMID 3778075.
- ^ Lluberas-Acosta, G; Schumacher HR, Jr (April 1987). "Simultaneous gonococcal arthritis and meningitis. Report of a case following gonococcal septicemia". Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology. 5 (2): 186. PMID 3608274.
- ^ Lluberas-Acosta, G; Elkus, R; Schumacher HR, Jr (November 1989). "Polyarticular Clostridium perfringens pyoarthritis". The Journal of Rheumatology. 16 (11): 1509–12. PMID 2557448.
- ^ Lluberas-Acosta, G (December 1989). ""Pseudolupus"". Southern Medical Journal. 82 (12): 1587. doi:10.1097/00007611-198912000-00037. ISSN 0038-4348. PMID 2595434.
- ^ Lluberas-Acosta, Gerônimo (15 February 1991). "Chronic Pain". Annals of Internal Medicine. 114 (4): 342–343. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-114-4-342_3. PMID 1987888.
- ^ Lluberas-Acosta, G; Schumacher, HR Jr. (April 1996). "Markedly elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates: consideration of clinical implications in a hospital population". International Journal of Clinical Practice. 50 (3): 138–142. doi:10.1111/j.1742-1241.1996.tb09508.x. PMID 8733332.
- ^ "Comprehensive Program Review Self-Study for the M.S.N. Program in the WellStar Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program, School of Nursing, College of Health and Human Services, Kennesaw State University, 2002–2003, p. 10
- ^ Lluberas, Geronimo; Parrish, Leslie Ann Marie; Kling, Catherine M. (January 2000). "Hypertension Prevalence in a Rural Haitian Missionary Clinic". The Nurse Practitioner. 25 (11): 59–61. doi:10.1097/00006205-200025110-00005. PMID 11107608.
- ^ a b Gerónimo Lluberas, "Plea for May 2000," report by the Haiti Ministry to the congregation of Transfiguration Catholic Church; archives of Roger Heil
- ^ a b c Lluberas, Gerónimo; Bezruchka, Stephen (March 2001). "Medical tourism". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 12 (1): 63, author reply 64-5. doi:10.1580/1080-6032(2001)012[0066:mt]2.0.co;2. PMID 11294558.
- ^ Minutes, December 10, 1997 meeting, Transfiguration Catholic Church Haiti Ministry; archives of Roger Heil
- ^ Lluberas, Gerónimo (September 26, 1998). "The Impact of Hurricane Georges on the area of Belle-Anse, Haiti" (PDF). cidbimena.bvs.hn. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
- ^ Minutes, March 8, 1999, Transfiguration Catholic Church Haiti Ministry
- ^ Minutes, June 12, 2000, Transfiguration Catholic Church Haiti Ministry
- ^ "Who We Are – H.E.R.O Health and Education Relief Organization". heroglobal.org. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ "About The Doctor". Christian Surgical Associates. 28 March 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ "Biography". luisespindolajazzband.com. 4 November 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ Ltd, BandLab Singapore Pte. "Luis Espindola Jazz Band | Jazz from Miami, FL". ReverbNation. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ "Suite on a Neutropenic State", ms., 2003
- ^ Abridged version presented at St. Ann's Opera Night in Marietta, Georgia, January 10, 2004; selections performed at St. Ann's Opera Night, February 3, 2007 and at Huntsville Botanical Gardens, Alabama, October 6, 2006; et al.
- ^ "Butterflies in the Rain Forest / Music for Meditation & Celebration". amazon.com. 2006. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ "Christopher Crommett | Navidad De Mi Niñez". cdbaby.com. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ Booklet accompanying the CD "Gerónimo Lluberas: Butterflies in the Rain Forest / Music for Meditation & Celebration"
- ^ "Transfiguration Catholic Church". Archived from the original on 2009-04-17. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
- ^ "Lumen Gentium" award, private collection of Magali Huertas, Sept 30, 2000
- 1956 births
- 2003 deaths
- Puerto Rican expatriates in Haiti
- Kennesaw State University people
- Puerto Rican Roman Catholic missionaries
- Puerto Rican musicians
- Puerto Rican composers
- Puerto Rican male composers
- People from Marietta, Georgia
- Puerto Rican rheumatologists
- Deaths from cancer in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Physicians from Ponce
- 20th-century Puerto Rican physicians
- Writers from Ponce
- Christian medical missionaries
- Roman Catholic missionaries in Haiti
- 20th-century American composers
- Catholics from Georgia (U.S. state)
- 20th-century American male musicians
- Universidad Central del Caribe alumni
- 20th-century American clergy