March 15, 2007

Dr. T. Berry Brazelton receives Legacy for Children Award

Children’s Discovery Museumof San Jose honors groundbreaking pediatrician

Eric Zimmerling
Times Intern

World-renowned pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton received the Legacy for Children Award at the Fairmont Hotel on Thursday, March 8.

The award is presented annually by the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose to an outstanding individual or organization whose efforts have considerably benefited the learning and lives of children.

Dr. T. Berry Brazelton speaks with the audience after receiving the Legacy for Children Award March 8 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose. The award is given annually by the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose.

Nearly 600 people attended the three-hour event, which included a banquet dinner, an operatic performance by 8-year-old Gwyn Mackenzie and dancing by children of the Cultura Azteca, who traveled from Mexico City to be part of the celebration for Brazelton.

Brazelton is best known for his Emmy Award-winning television show “What Every Baby Knows” and wrote “Infants and Mothers,” a book that has reached over one million families in American and has been translated in 18 languages around the world.

Brazelton, who became the ninth winner of the award, also created the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, which is an evaluation tool used clinically worldwide to access the physical and neurological responses of newborns as well as their emotional well being and individual differences.

Brazelton was also appointed to the National Commission on Children by the U.S. Congress, has published more than 200 scientific papers and chapters and has appeared on numerous television shows including the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and the “Conan O’Brian Show.”

Connie Martinez, executive director of the Children’s Discovery Museum said that it was an honor to give this year’s award to Brazelton.

“We are so proud and excited to have Brazelton here tonight,” Martinez said. “It is such an honor to present Mr. Brazelton with this award.”

At one point in the night, two large screens on each side of the large stage entertained the audience with multiple slides and video clips of Brazelton interacting with children as young as 5 weeks old.

The soon-to-be 90-year-old Brazelton thanked everyone for attending his celebration and spoke to the audience for a couple of minutes after accepting his award. Brazelton showed his humorous side by entertaining the interested event-goers by telling them about his appearance on the “Conan O’Brien Show.”

“I was his pediatrician when he was a child,” Brazelton said. “I came on the show and I brought his medical records with me but of course I was last because they thought I was going to be dull. I asked him ‘When did you stop sleeping with your mother?’ He turned beat red. Then I told his audience that his mother would complain to me because Conan would go into the bathroom for several hours at a time when he was 13 and she couldn’t figure out why. Well they haven’t invited me back since,” Brazelton said jokingly.

Past winners of the award include John Cassidy, co-founder of Klutz Press; Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator; Bill Keane, award-winning cartoonist of the Family Circus; Carroll Spinney, master puppeteer of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch; Rob Reiner and "I am Your Child Foundation;” The David and Lucile Packard Foundation; and Fred Rogers.