Welcome to Angels in Medicine, the site that highlights the work of medical humanitarians: individuals and organizations who alleviate suffering for vulnerable populations.
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Villages in the Himalayas of India are often isolated from the rest of the world for seven months at a time by heavy snows and avalanches. Residents of these areas have no access to nearby healthcare and must walk long distances to get to a clinic.
Individuals and health organizations have waged an ongoing war against this emblematic “disease of the poor.” One such effort is the LF-elimination initiative directed by Father Tom Streit, affectionately known as Pere Tom, who directs the program under the auspices of the University of Notre Dame.
It was the combined frustration of two health professionals, Dr. Lotte Marcus, a clinical psychologist, and Dr. Gerard Lehrer, a neurologist, and their patients and clients, that provided the momentum for a vital organization that facilitates access to medical services for those with MS.
“After the successful surgery, the little girl returned three or four days later. She brought a picture of her class at school, with her in it. It was the only thing she had of herself, and she wanted the doctors to remember her by it….”
“An eight-year-old Congolese refugee arrived with extensive burns…. Part of his ring finger was badly damaged from a bore hole pump. We were able to shorten his finger and close the wound. He was so incredibly brave and did not complain for a moment. He expressed his thanks in French as he left.”
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