Donald C. Liu came to HUP as a surgical intern in 1991 after obtaining his PhD along with his MD at Thomas Jefferson. As a resident, Don won several teaching awards, he was well liked by all, technically superior and totally conscientious in patient care.
After finishing his residency at HUP and a two-year fellowship in pediatric surgery at the University of Michigan he moved directly to the position of Chief of Pediatric Surgery at LSU. In 2001 he was recruited to the University of Chicago where after 4 years, he was appointed Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago, Chief of the Section of the Pediatric Surgery at the University of Chicago and Surgeon-in Chief of Wyler Children’s Hospital. In 2007 he was appointed Chief of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Chicago’s Comer Hospital and Director of the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program of the University of Chicago.
Don was internationally recognized for his expertise in applying and adapting the techniques of minimally invasive surgery to children. He developed innovative approaches to the treatment of chronic abdominal pain syndromes in children, including median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), a little-known and underdiagnosed disorder. As a researcher, he was an expert in Hirschsprung's disease, the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis and the importance of gut bacteria in health and disease. His skill and experience attracted patients from all over the country.
Don was a much sought after speaker and teacher both nationally and internationally. He had been visiting professor or invited speaker at more than 100 academic institutions and national or international symposia. He was particularly proud of his work in China where he developed a collaboration and formal affiliation with Shanghai Medical Center. He had the distinction of holding an endowed chair at the Jiao Tung University in Shanghai.
In a personal statement in his resident application he wrote "that the art of medicine is best practiced by those who desire to serve others." He added that "the special beauty of surgery is in the translation of abstraction and fact into delicate finger music." Years later, when asked to summarize his surgical philosophy he wrote, "I may be old fashioned but I continue to believe in achieving and maintaining a quadruple threat status in academic surgery, excellence in teaching, research, clinical productivity, innovation and administrative leadership."
At age 50, Don Liu was in the prime of his life as a devoted family man, an accomplished clinical surgeon, and prominent leader in academic pediatric surgery when he drowned after attempting to rescue two children who were caught in a strong current in Lake Michigan.