The United States has an active pharmaceutical industry that has

“The United States has an active pharmaceutical industry that has brought huge benefits to the U.S. public. Most Americans, who benefit from these advances, have little understanding of how difficult it is to create an important new medical therapy and make it available to improve public health.” – Robert Jarvik

In these words, Robert Jarvik, the visionary inventor of the artificial heart, reminds us of a truth both humbling and profound: that behind every medical breakthrough, every pill, vaccine, or device that preserves human life, lies not just science, but struggle, sacrifice, and perseverance. He speaks from the deep well of experience, having himself walked the arduous path of innovation — the path that transforms human suffering into healing. Jarvik’s words are not meant as praise alone for the pharmaceutical industry, but as a meditation on the hidden toil that undergirds modern medicine. For while the public sees only the cure, the inventor sees the long years of labor that made it possible.

The ancients taught that all great healing comes at a cost — that wisdom is purchased through pain, and discovery through devotion. In the temples of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, healers spent years in quiet study, their knowledge hard-won through failure and faith. So too in our time, the creation of new therapies demands not only intellect, but endurance and courage. Jarvik’s insight pulls back the veil, revealing the journey of invention as one of humanity’s most noble struggles: a constant striving against ignorance, disease, and time itself.

He reminds us that most Americans, though they live longer and healthier lives thanks to the fruits of this labor, rarely perceive the depth of its difficulty. It is easy, he suggests, to take for granted the miracle of a vaccine or the comfort of a life-saving drug — to see the outcome, but not the odyssey. Yet the birth of every medical therapy is akin to the forging of steel: it is tested, refined, and purified through the fire of failure. For every medicine that reaches the public, thousands fall away — defeated by the complexity of nature, the limits of knowledge, or the burdens of law and cost.

Consider Jarvik himself. In 1982, his invention — the Jarvik-7 artificial heart — made history when it replaced the failing heart of Barney Clark, a man who had no other hope of survival. The operation marked a turning point in medical science, a triumph of ingenuity and compassion. Yet, this achievement came only after decades of rejection, skepticism, and relentless experimentation. Critics doubted its possibility; patients feared its risk. Still, Jarvik and his team pressed forward, guided by the belief that no obstacle was too great in the service of life. His journey stands as a testament to the truth behind his own words: that the creation of healing is among the hardest labors of humankind.

But Jarvik’s quote also carries a subtler meaning — a call to gratitude and understanding. He asks us to see that progress in medicine is not a matter of fortune, but of collective effort. The scientists who labor unseen, the doctors who test new treatments, the companies that invest in research — all are threads in the vast tapestry of human health. While we must hold these powers accountable, we must also recognize that without them, countless lives would be lost. The ancients honored their healers as sacred figures; perhaps we, too, should remember that those who work to conquer disease carry the torch of civilization itself.

Yet even in his praise, there is balance. Jarvik’s words remind us that advancement must serve humanity, not profit alone. The purpose of innovation is not simply to create, but to improve public health, to alleviate suffering. In this, he speaks not only as an inventor, but as a moral teacher. For when science forgets compassion, it becomes hollow; when industry forgets service, it becomes dangerous. The difficulty of creation is justified only when its fruits are shared — when the knowledge and resources of the few are used for the healing of the many.

Therefore, children of the future, remember this truth: medicine is not magic, but the marriage of mind and mercy. Each pill, each device, each cure is a victory born of countless unseen hands. Honor the labor that gives you life. Support those who dedicate their days to discovery. Demand that progress serve people, not power. And when you see healing, give thanks — not only to the moment, but to the long chain of hearts and minds that made it possible.

And so, let Robert Jarvik’s words echo through time: that the marvels of modern medicine are not accidents, but the triumphs of perseverance; that the health of the public rests upon the courage of those who dare to create. For in the end, the story of science is the story of humanity itself — a story of striving against the darkness of disease, of building bridges between knowledge and compassion, and of never ceasing in the sacred work of healing the world.