They met through mutual friends, and for their first date, he took her to an ice cream parlor on the corner of Park Avenue and 59th Street.
They met through mutual friends, and for their first date, he invited her to an ice cream shop on the corner of Park Avenue and 59th Street.
It was Saturday, February 3, 1951 — his 31st birthday. Henry and Jane. A medical student and an aspiring journalist. In her memoirs, she described that day:
«I sat across from him, studying his face. His sharp features, thick eyebrows, a hawk-like nose, and strong jawline. Tall, lean, and quiet.
He slowly ate pecan ice cream, savoring each spoonful, while I showered him with questions. His answers were short.» «Did you serve during the war?» «Yes.»
«Where?» «In China.» He broke off a piece of ice cream with his spoon and leisurely placed it in his mouth. «How was China?» «Interesting.»
I had to pull answers from him with effort until we started talking about medicine… then, things went smoothly. He was unstoppable, excitedly explaining the esophagus, stomach, and reflux while I listened intently.»
They came from completely different worlds. Yes, both were Jewish, but that was perhaps the only thing they shared. Henry was from Wilmington, a small town in Delaware.
His father worked as a social worker in a prison, and his mother was a homemaker.
His paternal grandparents had come to America from the Hungarian town of Sátoraljaújhely, while his maternal grandparents were from Minsk and Lutsk.
Jane, on the other hand, was the daughter of a millionaire, the «King of Dance,» whose name was known across America.
Her father, Arthur Murray (born Moishe Teichman), was born in Podhajce (now in the Ternopil region of Ukraine), brought to America as a child, grew up in the slums of the Lower East Side, and became a famous dancer, the owner of a global network of dance schools, and an innovative businessman.
He was the first to introduce dance lessons on the radio in America and even came up with the idea to sell step diagrams by mail, which helped people learn dances on their own — he made millions from that alone.
His wife, Catherine Konfelder, helped him with many projects and raised their two daughters: Jane and her twin sister.
On June 3, 1951, exactly four months after their first date, Jane and Henry became husband and wife.
«In many ways, being the daughter of a famous person weighed on me, and I was relieved that my husband was ‘just a doctor.’
Changing my last name to ‘Gaimlich’ made me feel like a regular person again.
I thought, ‘This last name will probably just appear in medical journals.’ But fate had something entirely different in store for me…» Yes, fate had something else in mind for her.
Henry Gaimlich, a thoracic surgeon, inventor of the chest drainage valve (known as the Gaimlich valve), and creator of the first intra-tracheal catheter for long-term oxygen therapy, as well as one of the pioneers in esophageal bypass techniques, achieved worldwide fame for something else entirely.
Henry Gaimlich developed the life-saving technique for someone who is choking and at risk of suffocation. The maneuver, now known by his name — the Gaimlich Maneuver.
When someone is choking, unable to cough or speak, here’s what you do: Stand behind the person and wrap your arms around their waist.
Make a fist with one hand and place the thumb side against the person’s abdomen, between the belly button and ribs.
Place your other hand over the fist and quickly thrust upward, forcing the air out.
Repeat until the airway is cleared. Important: If the person is coughing, their airway is not completely blocked, and they may be able to clear it on their own without the Gaimlich maneuver.
Do not strike the person on the back if they are standing or sitting upright — the foreign object could move even lower. If necessary, bend them forward and give several firm back blows between their shoulder blades.
If they cannot cough, make no sound, or clutch their throat — the airway is completely blocked, and every second counts. Perform the Gaimlich maneuver immediately.
Do not perform the Gaimlich maneuver on infants under one year old. For obese individuals and pregnant women in late stages, chest compressions are used instead of abdominal thrusts.
If it doesn’t work, and the person loses consciousness, call emergency services (if not done already) and begin CPR (chest compressions and rescue breaths).
The Gaimlich maneuver can also be used for self-rescue by leaning over a chair (instructional photos will be posted in the comments). Now, back to Henry Gaimlich and his wife.
They spent 61 years together, had four children — two sons and twin daughters. Jane became a medical journalist, wrote two books on homeopathy and alternative medicine, and a memoir. She lived to 86.
Henry Gaimlich passed away in 2016 at the age of 96. His inventions and techniques continue to save lives around the world.
