In preparation for a trip to Haiti many, many moons ago, I read everything Dr. Paul Farmer wrote, thinking I could prepare myself for this trip of a lifetime. I started with “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” a wonderful book by Tracy Kidder that borrows from a Haitian proverb, Dèyè mòn gen mon — “beyond the mountains are mountains,” a matter-of-fact acknowledgement of the difficulties of that beautiful island nation, where people who’d been enslaved revolted and created their own country.
That is an act for which the white world has never forgiven them, as evidenced by decades of benighted U.S. policy that has served to keep that country as close to the ground as possible.
I was in no way prepared for Haiti, but Farmer’s compassion and utter decency drew me in and even though I came back from Haiti, I kept reading Farmer. He seemed lit from within and his combined sense of pragmatism and compassion made public health better worldwide.
He was a practitioner of “social medicine,” arguing there was no point in treating patients for diseases only to send them back into the desperate circumstances that contributed to them in the first place. Illness, he said, has social roots and must be addressed through social structures.
Do you have someone like this? Someone you admire from afar, but not in a stalker-kind of way? Do share.
I'm so sorry for your (our) great loss. There are times when words are too small to express my deepest sympathy for your pain. This is indeed one of those times. All I can do is offer you the words of Rev. Howard Thurman:
“I share with you the agony of your grief, The anguish of your heart echo in my own. I know I cannot enter all you feel nor bear with you the burden of your pain; I can but offer what my love does give: The strength of caring, The warmth of one who seeks to understand The silent storm-swept barrenness of so great a loss, This do I in quiet ways, That on your lonely path You may not walk alone.”
I first read the Rev. Thurman at the then-Hartford Seminary and it was one of those moments when I felt the paucity of my education up to that point. Thank you.
I didn't know much about Dr. Farmer before reading about all he did for people after his passing. What an admirable and impressive life of service! I'm very sorry he is no longer with us, for all he helped and for all who he inspired (including you). I'm sorry for your loss, Susan.
There are people who I admire in different ways - some from afar and some close up. One I'll mention I admire from afar is F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE. I only discovered him about a year ago. In addition to patient care, research and teaching at Yale School of Medicine, he communicates medical and public health information in ways that are clear and easy for the rest of us to understand. His dedication to doing that, to reduce misinformation, is what I admire most. He answers questions honestly and as accurately as possible. His weekly videos "Impact Factor" are interesting, entertaining, and concise. He tries to get the truth out and points out flawed claims. Plus, he is a CT guy! I took his free course, "Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend Is Wrong" (On Coursera) and was hooked. I learned a lot and trust his assessments of anything related to medical research, the pandemic, and more. If anyone is interested in checking him out, here is a Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/c/Methodsmanmd/videos?view=0&sort=dd&flow=grid
Thank you for sharing this. So sad to lose him, so sorry for your grief. I do have a person like this: my dad, may he rest in peace. He was a microbiologist and a public heath servant, too. I can say he had this in common with Dr. Farmer: "He seemed lit from within and his combined sense of pragmatism and compassion made public health better."
I'm so sorry for your (our) great loss. There are times when words are too small to express my deepest sympathy for your pain. This is indeed one of those times. All I can do is offer you the words of Rev. Howard Thurman:
“I share with you the agony of your grief, The anguish of your heart echo in my own. I know I cannot enter all you feel nor bear with you the burden of your pain; I can but offer what my love does give: The strength of caring, The warmth of one who seeks to understand The silent storm-swept barrenness of so great a loss, This do I in quiet ways, That on your lonely path You may not walk alone.”
I first read the Rev. Thurman at the then-Hartford Seminary and it was one of those moments when I felt the paucity of my education up to that point. Thank you.
That's beautiful.
I didn't know much about Dr. Farmer before reading about all he did for people after his passing. What an admirable and impressive life of service! I'm very sorry he is no longer with us, for all he helped and for all who he inspired (including you). I'm sorry for your loss, Susan.
There are people who I admire in different ways - some from afar and some close up. One I'll mention I admire from afar is F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE. I only discovered him about a year ago. In addition to patient care, research and teaching at Yale School of Medicine, he communicates medical and public health information in ways that are clear and easy for the rest of us to understand. His dedication to doing that, to reduce misinformation, is what I admire most. He answers questions honestly and as accurately as possible. His weekly videos "Impact Factor" are interesting, entertaining, and concise. He tries to get the truth out and points out flawed claims. Plus, he is a CT guy! I took his free course, "Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend Is Wrong" (On Coursera) and was hooked. I learned a lot and trust his assessments of anything related to medical research, the pandemic, and more. If anyone is interested in checking him out, here is a Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/c/Methodsmanmd/videos?view=0&sort=dd&flow=grid
He sounds wonderful, and thank you for Dr. Wilson.
Thank you for sharing this. So sad to lose him, so sorry for your grief. I do have a person like this: my dad, may he rest in peace. He was a microbiologist and a public heath servant, too. I can say he had this in common with Dr. Farmer: "He seemed lit from within and his combined sense of pragmatism and compassion made public health better."
What a fortunate daughter you are to have had him. Thank you for this.