“Anna’s origins were indefinite, her age was unknown, but she was a full grown dog when she was operated upon in 1943 to help perfect the Blalock-Taussig operation (the blue baby operation).  Afterwards, the laboratory became her home, and she was the pet of everyone who came to visit. She was photographed several times by leading magazines and newspapers with former “blue babies” who came to see her on their return visits to Dr. Taussig and Dr. Blalock. In 1950 her story was made into a motion picture, which is the property of the Maryland Society for Medical Research, and the film has been shown to schools and other groups. In 1951 this portrait was painted by DeNyse W. Turner and was presented to the Johns Hopkins Hospital by the Baltimore Animal Aid Association. At that time a special medal was presented to Anna. Anna spent 15 happy years of her life in the Surgical Research Laboratories, and died there at a ripe old age in 1957.”                                       - Dr. Alex Haller, July, 1975