Homework #24 Illness and Dying Book Part Three

Precis:

     Paul Farmer is a doctor whose works is based upon helping those in need of medical care. Growing up poor, Farmer knows first hand what it's like to have limited resources. Paul didn't give up just because he was poor, he worked very hard and ended up attending Harvard Medical School, and spends most of his time traveling across the world, particularly to third world countries to provide medical care. Amongst the many countries Paul helped Haiti was one of them. Paul treated many people at Zanmi Lasante the name of his treatment center located in Cagne, Haiti which was free of charge. He soon met future partners Jim and Ophelia who helped him organize Partners in Health, which is basically a organization that attempts to raise money which will be spent on the battle of disease. Farmer is truly one of a kind he's extraordinarily compassionate, tries to treat his patients as human beings and not just patients, correcting twisted medical systems across the world, and being truly inspiring and influential. Paul Farmer and his book should be studied and it should be mandatory for soon to doctors.

Quotes:

      " It bothers me even to look at it... It can't support eight million people, and there they are. There they are, kidnapped from West Africa," (Pg 188). Haiti has way more people in it's country, than it can support itself. They also are so poor and technologically un-advanced they also can't support the people.

    " She thought he'd never experienced true depression, a freedom so enviable she almost resented it. I've never known despair and I don't think I ever will., he wrote me once.It was as if in seeking out suffering in one of the world's most desperate locals, he made himself immune to the self consuming varieties of physic pain."(Page 189) Ophelia basically thinks that Farmer has never been so sad it stopped him from functioning completely. Farmer is able to work through the illness and dying he deals with on a daily basis. He simply doesn't have time to help himself and his own problems.

     "Never underestimate the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world.. indeed, they are the only ones who ever have." (Page 164) Usually when small groups try and make some positive change to the world it works. This may be because of the chemistry that can be built with less people. They can work more on issues rather then argue and get nothing done.

Thoughts:

      In the third part of the book, things began to sound repetitive. Farmer made many wonderful things happen such as advances in fundraising for medicine and creating new programs, but it was basically the same thing that happened in the previous chapters just worded differently. Farmer’s way of approaching disease is very inspiring. Basically no one  is or should be left untreated, which is the way things should always go, but it doesn't for several reasons I won't get into now.  What makes Farmer unique from most  doctors and people of the medical field  is that money isn't a priority and every life has value, no matter what race they are, or their financial situiation