Holding out for a Hero: Wrestling with the life and legacy of Viola Bernard.

Abstract

Historical narratives, like other kinds of stories, can be told by identifying heroes and villains. But that conceptualization does not always do justice to the complexity of historical actors. Child psychiatrist Viola Bernard (1907-1998) was a hero in many ways-she was a pioneering woman physician, advocated for racial and social justice, and used her privilege to help others. At the same time, she has also been viewed as a villain because she advocated for separating twins for adoption and not disclosing to the children or their families about their twin status. Bernard's history provides a model for grappling with human narratives in medicine and enhancing our approach toward ethics in health and medicine.