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STORIES...

Our team has been hard at work for over 3 years making the documentary film "The Color of Medicine". During our journey, we have been honored to hear so many heartfelt stories from people who have a personal connection with Homer G. Phillips Hospital. Here are a few of our featured stories that were submitted. Enjoy!

If you have a personal connection with Homer G. Phillips Hospital, please contact us at thehomergphillipsproject@gmail.com We would be honored to share your personal story!

I was born at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in March of 1939. I was named after (Gwendolyn Turner), a nurse in the OB/GYN Department, who helped attend to me after I was born. I am the 4th of 14 children born to my parents, all of whom were born at HGP, except for their first two children, who were born in 1935 and 1936 at Barnes Hospital before HGP was built.


At that time (1939), my parents lived on Goode Ave., in a house shared with my paternal grandparents, which was located approximately 3 blocks away from the hospital. We moved from that location to the 4300 of Maffit when I was (I think) 2 years old. (We lived in "The Ville" until I was 6 years old). 

 

As the family was progressively growing, we then moved into a newly developed (living-room, kitchen, 4-bedroom, 1-full bath, a utility room, 2 and 3-story Apt) housing complex in downtown St. Louis, which was named "Carr Square Village." It was the first housing Complex built in the City of St. Louis "for blacks," which offered 3 and 4 bedroom apartments with shared front and backyards. The front yards had attached small brick patio-type sitting areas. The backyards were the length of each building, with a  concrete sidewalk separating it from the yard of the building across from it. At the end of these buildings were "play-yards" with sliding boards, "see-saws" and merry-go-rounds for the children to play on.They also provided fenced-in trash dumpsters at the end of each building. This was a very welcomed and appreciated housing complex, which was rewarded in the earlier years by producing many of St. Louis' black postal workers, government workers, and professional people, including one of HGP's black doctors by the name of Dr. Lee Blount. Our parents were so proud of him when he sold the St. Louis Argus Newspaper to us every week,  telling of his ambition to become a doctor; especially when he became a doctor at HGP and started treating family members and neighbors who knew of his ambition to become a doctor.


At the age of 15, I also worked at HGP with a blind vendor, selling coffee and donuts to staff and visitors. 

 

After growing up, getting married and having kids of my own (5 of 6 of my children were born at HGP), I became interested in the Medical Field, in which I became Medical Transcriptionist. This career placed me in the arena to transcribe the dictation of medical reports for many of the black doctors who received their expertise in Medical specialty, Surgical Specialty, OB/GYN and Radiological Specialty, from serving at "The Black" Homer G. Phillips Hospital. All of these doctors were very knowledgeable in their fields, and I was the recipient of most of my medical knowledge through working with them at various other hospitals, and actually for some of them (as an employee working side-by-side in their private offices).

 

Therefore, I feel that the existence of Homer G. Phillips Hospital had an impact on my life in many ways.

 

Submitted By, 

 

G. Harmon 

I was born at Homer G. Phillips and all of my siblings and Children and cousins ... we lived in the Ville 4325 Kennerly and 4407 Kennerly, we walk to the hospital ... that emergency room was a sight to see on Fri and Sat night. We have seen people coming in holding there insides in their hands. The doctors were good ...the wait was long but service was great ...they would send real emergency from other hospitals to them because they knew what to do ..put you back together and sew you up... I had a cousin went to nursing school and 3 family members radiology.

Submitted By,

M. Moore

I'm a Sumnerite born at Homer G. Phillips in 1960. And my mother was an RN at city hospital #1

 

Submitted By,

 

Sheyrel

I was 3 years old, suffered 3rd degree burns from a house fire. Was transported to HGPH because the other hospital near me did not accept blacks. I owe my life to the doctors and nurses for the care I received. 

Submitted By,

Carol Gwen Turner - Johnson

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