Robert E. Hillman"The human voice is the vehicle of the soul." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
My father cites the above quote as the guiding mantra that drives his work. He believes in the resonating power of the human voice and seeks to preserve and restore it. In this, he is lending his talent and skill to giving a literal voice to the innovation of others. Often when we think of great innovators we fail to remember those who stand behind them, ready to restore a voice to world leaders, singers, entertainers, teachers, and countless others waiting to give voice to their innovations. In his work with transgender patients my father seeks to grant them the voice they feel is truly theirs. In his work with cancer patients and trauma survivors he seeks to restore their power to tell their stories. In all of his work he embodies the commitment to diversity and understanding of complexity that the "Forbes: 10 Traits of Great Innovators" highlights. My father innovates quietly in a lab in Boston, MA. He is the creator of injectable trachea technologies that preserve delicate airways and of a procedure that allows voice pitch to be altered without vocal chord damage. Existing on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, my father is often a man of action in lieu of language. In Alex Howard's article, "A definition for civic innovation", there is great talk about the nature of innovation providing tangible human gain. While my father tends to exist in a world of limited language, he provides tangible human gain in abundance in lending his unique skill set to the preservation of what Longfellow considered the "vehicle of the soul." From my father I have gained my love of running in the rain, my appreciation of James Bond movies, and my belief in the power of giving a voice to the soul. We share the "Rensselaerville Institute: Sparkplug Trait" of "Belief in the Common Good" and while there is often an ocean between our communication styles, I have learned so much about the nature of resilience and true investment in watching my father innovate. |
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