It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Fernando Rueda Franco, an eminent pediatric neurosurgeon and professor, whose life and work left an indelible mark on pediatric neurosurgery in Mexico, Latin America, and worldwide.
Dr. Rueda Franco graduated from the University of Mexico in 1960, under the mentorship of Professor Manuel Velasco Suárez, a pioneer of Mexican neurosurgery and founder of the Neurological Institute of Mexico. He began his professional career at the Children’s Hospital of Chihuahua in northern Mexico, and subsequently assumed the position of head of the Neurosurgery Service at the Children’s Hospital of Mexico City.
In 1971, Dr. Rueda Franco joined the University of Mexico as a professor of neurology, and in 1977, he was appointed associate professor of neurology at the same institution. In 1978, he initiated a training program in pediatric neurosurgery for general neurosurgeons, marking a milestone in specialized education in the country.
His leadership and dedication led him to be elected president of the Mexican Society of Neurological Surgery in 1984, and later served as its secretary in 1988 and again in 1992. In 1985, he chaired the Annual Congress of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ISPN) in Mexico City, and in 1987 and 1989, he was Chair of the Education Committee of the ISPN. He ultimately assumed the presidency of the ISPN in 1990. From 1986 to 1991, he also served as secretary of the Latin American Federation of Pediatric Neurosurgery, significantly contributing to the development of the specialty in the region.
Beyond his remarkable medical career, Dr. Rueda Franco had a great passion for history, geography, and the arts, which led him to travel to various emblematic places in the history of humanity. His tireless spirit allowed for significant advancements in pediatric neurosurgery at the Latin American level, actively involving himself in the creation of the chapter of the Latin American Federation and strongly promoting the foundation of our Latin American Association of Pediatric Neurosurgery (ASOLANPED).
We wish to express our deepest condolences to his wife Lourdes, his daughters Lourdes and Gabriela, and the rest of his family during this difficult time of loss of one of the greats in Latin American and global pediatric neurosurgery.
Dr. Fernando Rueda Franco will be remembered not only for his innumerable contributions to the field of pediatric neurosurgery but also for his unwavering commitment to education and the well-being of his patients. His legacy will endure in the lives he touched and the professionals he trained.
Rest in peace, Dr. Fernando Rueda Franco. Your work and dedication will continue to be a source of inspiration for future generations.
