Dr. Ben Carson receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

President George W. Bush presented Dr. Benjamin Carson with the 2008 Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday. Dr. Carson is a well known neurosurgeon who became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital when he was 33 years old.

In a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Bush honored Carson for his "skills as a surgeon, high moral standards, and dedication to helping others." The president said his story began "in a poor neighborhood in the heart of Detroit" where "many young people lost themselves to poverty and crime and violence" and "young Ben Carson was headed down that same path" for a time.

Bush said Carson turned his life around "through his reliance on faith and family" and "turned his life into a sharply different direction." Today Dr. Carson is "renowned for his successful efforts to separate conjoined twins and his expertise in controlling brain seizures," Bush said. Carson and his wife Candy have started an organization that offers college scholarships to students across America and Carson has become "a scholar, a healer, and a leader," the president said.

The president credited Carson's mother, Sonya Carson, for raising him to be successful. "Ben Carson's mom had a life filled with challenges. She was married at the age of 13, and ultimately was left to raise her two sons alone. She made their education a high priority. Every week the boys would have to check out library books and write reports on them," Bush said.

Carson's mother handed the reports back to them with check marks, as though she had reviewed them, although she herself could not read. "Even in the toughest times, she always encouraged her children's dreams. She never allowed them to see themselves as victims. She never, ever gave up," Bush said.

"Ben has said that one of his role models is Booker T. Washington, who inspired millions and who was one of the first African American leaders ever to visit this house as a guest of a President," Bush said. Washington "walked on this very floor a little more than a century ago. Today, Ben Carson follows in his footsteps in more ways than one. He's lived true to the words that was once uttered by this great man: 'Character, not circumstances, makes the man.'"

Carson's citation for the medal read: "Dr. Benjamin Carson is a pioneer in pediatric neurosurgery, and his life is a testament to the power of education, hard work, and faith. His groundbreaking contributions to medicine provide hope for people suffering neurological disorders, and his tireless outreach to America's youth underscores the importance of academic achievement and humanitarian service. The United States honors Benjamin Carson for his skill, his vision, and his dedication to motivating others to strive for excellence.