Drs. Paul & Margaret Brand and Father Damien DeVeuster.
Medical professionals and a Catholic Priest.
What did they have in common?
Leprosy and...
Inspiration, perspiration, sacrifice, unselfishness, sickness, then reward and recognition---words that can only describe the legacies of Drs. Paul & Margaret Brand and Father Damien DeVeuster. Just ordinary people that did extraordinary things through astonishing initiative and personal fortitude.
Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, has inflicted mankind since biblical times. This disease causes nerve damage in the arms and legs; victims may lose the use of their hands or feet.
Used By God, Partaker of Suffering...
Catholic Priest Father Damien DeVeuster, the leper priest of Molokai, Hawaii. Beautiful Hawaii, known for its world-renowned splendor of beaches, also had a shameful secret at the turn of the 19th century. Hidden and tucked away on the Island of Molokai sits the Makanalua Peninsula.
Bordered by the world’s tallest sea cliffs, is a leper colony. Called Kalaupapa, it is now a US National Historical Site. The area provided a perfect safe haven and protected area.
Enclosed on three sides by the Pacific Ocean and 1600-foot sea cliffs, Kalaupapa provided the perfect environment for a large leper colony. Reportedly, leprosy sufferers arrived by ship and were sometimes told to jump off the ship and swim for their lives towards shore. While medical care and treatment was non-existent, there was plenty of humiliation and isolation meaning a lifetime sentence in a natural prison. An enterprising person, Father Damien and a small staff gave freely of themselves and cared for the patients when no one on the outside world would. He finally succumbed to the very illness he treated and awaits Sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church. Father Damien persevered, brought comfort to outcasts, and suffered the ultimate sacrifice.
Medical Scientists and Servants of God...
Half way across the world, Doctors Paul and Margaret Brand served in a similar capacity as Fr. Damien in Hawaii, on the staff of the Christian Medical College and Hospital in Vellore, S. India, for nearly 18 years. The Brands used their medical skills, caring, and tenacity to improve and comfort leprosy patients with deformed hands and eye problems.
“...Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved...”
---Helen Keller---
Did they change the world? Maybe, but they did change lives. While Fr. Damien comforted through compassion, prayer and works of mercy; the Brands provided medical relief and comfort. How they treated others less fortunate and pitiful resulted in profound changes and laid a building block and firm foundation for society and the medical community to do something positive and lasting for years to come.
Copyright © 2007 Myles Saulibio
