Based on a true story, Tod Lubitch is born with a deficient immune system (which is unlike being born with AIDS). As such, he must spend the rest of his life in a completely sterile environment.

The boy, whom he and Deborah nicknamed “Franky,” gave rise to a more ebullient version of Franklin than he had allowed the world to see. He also became more empathetic—it’s hard to imagine ...

That patient was David Vetter, whose life later became the inspiration for the 1976 TV movie “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble,” starring John Travolta. Montgomery was a key member of Vetter’s medical ...