Watch Nobel Prize Winner Call His Parents to Tell Them He Won

Watch Nobel Prize Winner Drew Weissman Call His Parents To Tell Them He Won

By Regina Sienra on October 6, 2023

For some people, nothing beats the feeling of making their parents proud. For immunologist Drew Weissman, calling his mom and dad when he has achieved something is a must, even when he’s 64 years old. The physician just won the Nobel Prize in Medicine alongside Katalin Karikó for their work towards the development of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, which has saved millions of lives around the world. And now, a heartwarming video of him ringing his parents to tell them the news has been posted online.

In the clip, Weissman is accompanied by his wife, Mary Ellen, as he calls his parents, who are in their 80s. “Hi, it's your son,” he says with a tingle of nervousness in his voice. “No kidding,” jokes his mom, unaware of what's coming next. After making sure his dad is also around to listen, he announces that he has some news to share with them. “I won the Nobel Prize,” he announces, to which his parents reply with squeals of excitement before congratulating him. “Oh my god! I don't know what to say. I'm ready to fall on the floor,” his mom says.

Weissman and Karikó first published their findings on mRNA in 2005, although their research got little attention at the time. Likely aware of her son's path to the Nobel Prize, his mom reminisces about her son's wishes to win the award. “You kept saying, ‘Oh, no, it's never going to happen,' and you did it! And so young!” she proudly states, despite Weissman being in his 60s. His dad then commends him with a short but sweet statement. “You're the product of our hearts, Drew,” he says. His mom later wraps up the call by saying, “Congratulations, and you deserve it.”

Weiss keeps a soft smile throughout the call and is visibly happy to have informed his parents. This is far from the first time Weissman made calling them a priority. Back in November 2020, when it was announced that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that featured his findings was highly effective, he also rang them up immediately to let them know.

Ultimately, Weissman's bond to his parents is a testament to how time can pass, and children can grow, yet many parents will always be thrilled to hear about our achievements, whether big or small. After all, your parents will always be your parents, no matter your age. Who wouldn't get a kick out of making them feel proud?