“There were no hugs, there were no kisses, and there were no goodbyes.” That, according to the family of Dr. Leandro Resurreccion III, was how the country’s foremost and pioneering pediatric surgeon signed off in his fight against the virus.
To the very end, he was working on his vision for pediatric surgery, especially in liver transplants, according to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, where he was chief of the Pediatric Surgery Division. He was the hospital’s “first fallen soldier in the battle against COVID-19.”
In a statement, the PCMC said Dr. Resurreccion was “well known locally and abroad as forward looking in his vision for pediatric surgery especially in liver transplants which he was working to the end. Always smiling, friendly and very ‘cool’ he will be missed.”
His son, Leandro IV, recalled that his father rejected an offer to practice in Australia after being certified at Westmead Hospital in Sydney, saying the Philippines was where he was needed most. “He always embodied a kind of fiery passion for his profession, but he always spoke of what the country needed together with such passion.”