Paul Brand (July 17, 1914 - July 8, 2003) grew up in the Kolli Malai hills of Tamil Nadu, India having his lessons in the branches of trees and going from one end of the year to the other barefoot and happy. He was determined never to leave India, never to wear shoes and never to be a doctor like his father - especially to lepers. But before long he was on his way to school in England, wearing shoes from dawn to dusk and fighting tooth and nail against learning medicine. Years passed, years with tragedy and challenges until eventually Paul discovered that the God he loved and trusted had the best plan for his life. Paul came back to India with a medical degree and there were patients waiting for him - leprosy patients. From then on he devoted his life to their care ... even to the point of making them special shoes! Paul Brand's work was influential in the cure and treatment of leprosy throughout the world. His pioneering work in tendon transfer techniques made it possible for many leprosy sufferers to regain the use of their hands. Paul also shared his findings with the medical community that leprosy did not cause tissue to rot away, but rather it was the loss of the ability to feel pain that left leprosy sufferers so susceptible to injury. This life destroying disease under Paul's loving care became something treatable and manageable. Lepers no longer needed to be outcasts. Paul's faith in God, his love for mankind and his medical abilities gave those who suffered from leprosy a new life - and hope.
About the Author:
Lucille Travis has written several books for children, held children's writing workshops, taught college-level English, and lectured in Christian literature. Her interest in writing began as a young girl living in an orphanage in upstate New York. One of her joys today is encouraging the efforts of young writers.
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