Noel Tulipan

Born in Manhatten, New York on July 30, 1951

Departed on November 3, 2015 and resided in Nashville, Tennessee

Dr. Noel Bristow Tulipan died quietly in his Nashville home on November 3 at age 64, after a long illness. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Dr. Donna S. Hummell, his daughter, Rachel Tulipan, DVM, age 29, and his son, Hunter Tulipan, 25. He is also survived by two brothers, Dr. David Tulipan (spouse Beth Tulipan) of Chicago, and Peter Tulipan (spouse Elizabeth Sung), who resides in Los Angeles.
He was born in New York City on July 30, 1951 to Dr. Alan Tulipan, a psychiatrist, and Eve Tulipan. Noel Tulipan, known as "Tuli" to his colleagues, completed his medical education and neurosurgery training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and in 1985 moved to Nashville to work at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In the 1990s, he began a groundbreaking journey that put Vanderbilt on the map in neurosurgery and fetal surgery. In 1997, he performed the first repair of spina bifida (myelomeningocele), the most common birth defect in the central nervous system, while the fetus was still in the womb. This led to the 7-year landmark Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) involving Vanderbilt, University of California San Francisco, and Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania. The results of this careful clinical trial showed that babies who have the surgery while still in the womb have a much lower rate of developing hydrocephalus (excess fluid around the brain) and are better able to walk than infants who do not have the surgery until after birth. There are at least 10 centers in the U.S. now performing the Tulipan procedure using techniques developed by him specifically to perform the surgery safely, and there are hundreds, and will be thousands, of children walking better and with fewer complications because of his determination and hard work. Despite tremendous success and international recognition of his work, Noel had a quiet demeanor and a wry sense of humor. He never stepped into the spotlight as he cared for patients across the life spectrum, from infants to 90-year-olds. In addition to his professional dedication and accomplishments, his life was full and vibrant on many dimensions. He was very devoted to his family, loved travel and vacationed in many countries, delighted in cooking gourmet meals, raised orchids, and was not only an avid reader, but also wrote two medical mystery novels.
Noel left an indelible mark on many facets of life-from his impact on the field of neurosurgery and fetal surgery repair; to the children and families he cared for; to the residents he trained; to the operating room team with whom he scrubbed; to his loving children, wife, and family; and to his friends and colleagues. A bright light has gone with his passing. He will be missed by many.
A private cremation was held, and according to his wishes, a small gathering of family and close friends to memorialize his life will be arranged for a future date. Friends and colleagues may express their sympathy with donations to one of his favorite charities: the Hydrocephalus Association, the Nature Conservancy, The World Wildlife Fund, or support of the local privately-funded NPR radio station.