MEET LOCAL LEGENDS: By Medical Specialty

"I grew up in a large family with no health insurance. Now I have a chance to give back. I do what I do because I see the future in the eyes of each child I treat."

"For me, medicine was the perfect combination of science and service. Early on, I knew I would be in the sciences but it wasn't until I was in college that I decided on a life of helping people as a doctor."

"I can't say… From first grade on, I wanted to be a woman doctor. And there were no doctors in my family, nor had I ever seen a female physician…"

"My patients, the kids, never fail to inspire me with their tremendous courage and determination in the face of severe disabilities. They give much more than we can give them."

"My goal is to increase the understanding of neurogenic bladder in children with spina bifida. There still is no cure for spina bifida, but it's a real privilege to work with these families and see their courage"

"I have followed some of my patients for as long as 25 years and been able to observe the results of my scientific work firsthand. More importantly, I have developed a real love and affection for them."

"When she was about 11, Stahlman was given a microscope. "I looked at flies' wings and bugs," she recalls. "A cousin of mine had a chemistry set, which I envied greatly." About this time, she decided she would be a doctor when she grew up."