Patterico's Pontifications

9/18/2005

See-Dubya: Best and Brightest

Filed under: General — See Dubya @ 8:54 pm



One of the most impressive people I know is Dr. Ann Kao. She is a brilliant doctor who recently got written up in the Wall Street Journal for having discovered a new disease (“Tsunami Lung”) in the aftermath of the Indonesian Tsunami.

Ann is also a Christian, an Ivy Leaguer, and (at least the last time I talked to her) quite sensible politically, too. She’s also cute and pleasant to talk to. Where do you go to meet women like this?

Rwanda, of course. She’s now on a fellowship doing refugee medicine there, saving babies from dysentery and staving off the onset of AIDS wherever she can. The conditions are primitive and she’s dreadfully undersupplied, but she’s doing her best. I expect they’re not paying her too well, either.

She has a blog, Letters Home, which she updates now and then from Kigali. Why not check it out, and leave some comments or send her an e-mail, and surprise her? Here’s a sample of daily life for Ann:

“The anxiety comes from the moans emanating forth from the rear of the land cruiser – the contractions are coming faster and I hear grunts starting and I say “DON’T PUSH” really loud in English which makes everyone laugh. Then in a completely surreal moment where time seems to freeze the other two women in the Land Rover start singing piercingly beautifully and clearly – “It is a hymn” says Immanuel my driver the words he struggles to translate but says are praising God and creation – and the 19 yo in labor ceases her grunting and slows her breathing to listen to the song. It’s yet another truly indescribable moment – careening down a mountain in pitch black surrounded by banana groves with 3 refugee woman – one nearing delivery and the soundtrack is this beautiful wild song being sung by 2 of them. I think if I die at this very moment going down this mountain – there wouldn’t be any other way I’d rather go.”

But we’d rather you stayed a while, Ann.

P.S. And don’t even tell her where you heard about this. I don’t want her figuring out who I am. Just tell her howdy, and let her know her work is appreciated.

Cross-posted at the Jawa Report.

2 Responses to “See-Dubya: Best and Brightest”

  1. Thank you for the post and link.

    MD in Philly (b3202e)

  2. Beautiful. We the people of the human race do have our moments.

    RJN (c3a4a3)


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