(This remembrance of Heddy Landau is from the Israel Endocrine Society Website and was translated for Congenital Hyperinsulinism International into English from Hebrew by Ada Reiter)
Heddy is known to all of us mainly as a mother, a doctor and a good friend. She was a mother to many, her son, daughter and grandchildren and without a doubt, she was also like a caring mother to the doctors she educated, and the children she treated, and their parents. She had a motherly concern towards all of us and it could be said she was the mother of the pediatric/endocrinology specialty in Israel.
Heddy studied medicine abroad and in Israel she specialized first in pediatrics and later in endocrinology. As a physician she tried to reach deeply into understanding her patients. She read all the literature about the disorder in order to provide the best possible treatment for her patients. This is how she became a pioneer in treating congenital hyperinsulinism, a disease which was then called nesidioblastosis. She understood that children suffering from this disease who underwent excision of the pancreas were bound to develop diabetes. She was one of the first to go the conservative way even in the worst cases in order to avoid surgery. This practice was gradually adopted by most centers around the world. At the same time she made advances in the research of this disease by studying her patients with colleagues in order to understand the genetic transmission. Through the work of other researchers the genes of the most common forms of this disease were discovered.
Heddy’s most special quality was her deep interest in her patients. Until the day she died she showed interest in their well-being and followed their progress through life always caring deeply about them. Lately she often said “I am already old” and tried to instill her dedication and excitement into the new generations of physicians to continue research on congenital hyperinsulinism. She did achieve this. Last May she received a special recognition from the Israeli Society of pediatric endocrinology , a mark of distinction.
To all who knew her she is going to be remembered as a very special woman with a warm loving heart. May her memory be blessed.
