Respiratory Therapy pioneer, Dr. Forrest Bird joins Augusta
Tech Program Chair for Respiratory Therapy Technology Rita Waller
and her students for a memorable photo.

Rita Waller and her Respiratory Therapy Technology students received a thrill of a life time when they were invited to Doctors Hospital to meet a pioneer in their field, Dr. Forrest Bird, the inventor of the Bird Universal Medical Respirator and the Babybird.

Dr. Bird is credited with developing some of the first reliable mass-produced mechanical ventilators for acute and chronic cardiopulmonary care. His ventilators called the "Bird" have become very familiar to hospital patients. He subsequently invented a ventilator for infants called the Babybird. This device is credited with reducing the rate of breathing-related infant mortality from 70% to 10%.

To respiratory therapy professionals, Dr. Bird is considered a pioneer in their field and to have an opportunity to meet him in person was an opportunity of a lifetime.