New York's neurosurgeon famous for separating conjoined twins dies from COVID-19

Dr. James T. Goodrich, the neurosurgeon who famously separated twins Jadon and Anias McDonald, died on March 30 due to coronavirus at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Goodrich, who was in his 70s and was born in Portland, Ore, died of coronavirus complications, the hospital where he worked for 30 years announced. Goodrich rose to fame in 2004 after he separated conjoined twins Carl and Clarence Aguirre in a 17-hour procedure with a 16-member team. Then in 2016 he led a 40-doctor team to separate Jadon and Anias McDonald in a 27-hour-long surgery. 

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The Montefiore Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where Goodrich worked for most of his life, has dubbed the now deceased neurosurgeon a pioneer in his field and one who dedicated his entire life in solving complex neurological conditions in children. According to reports, Goodrich in his lifetime had performed seven craniopagus surgery, out of the 59 times it had been conducted since 1952. Goodrich's friends and colleagues expressed grief on his death, including Montefiore Medicine CEO Dr. Philip O. Ozuah, who said he was a beacon of the institution, and he will be truly missed. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

COVID-19 has claimed more than 47,000 lives across the world and has infected over 9,37,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was the most affected country until last week before Italy and Spain surpassed it to record the most number of deaths anywhere in the world due to COVID-19. The United States and France are on the verge of overtaking China in terms of the number of deaths recorded in these countries. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.

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