Seven-year-old Paul mashed a bit more water into his pail of mud, looking for that just-right consistency to build walls. His sister Connie collected sticks to help support them.
Soon they’d have two miniature mud houses with roofs made from the large leaves of a peepal tree. This is where their stick-people would live, using the structures as a base for their glorious adventures.
The fact they had few toys never bothered Paul and Connie. Their creative play with what nature provided kept them happy for hours.
Across the yard, their father, a missionary doctor in southwest India, met with patients in a shelter outside their home. Paul stayed clear. The sight of some injuries and diseases turned his stomach.
As the children played, three men limped toward the house, their hands and feet bandaged in rags. Curious about what happened to them, Paul allowed himself to watch.
His father donned surgical gloves and unwrapped the cloths. As they fell away, Paul startled to see open sores, missing fingers and mere stumps for feet. He quickly looked away. But in his peripheral vision he could see his father wash and apply salve to their wounds.
When the men left, Paul’s mother immediately bathed Paul and Connie, even though they’d had no contact with the men. Later his father told him the men suffered from leprosy, a flesh-eating disease.
That’s when Paul decided: I will NOT become a doctor.
At age nine in 1923, Paul’s parents escorted his sister and him back to England to begin their formal education.
Paul took special interest in construction and trained as an engineer and carpenter. He planned to return to India and follow in his parents’ footsteps as a missionary—just not in the medical field.
However, he did study tropical medicine for one year, learning to care for injuries and common illnesses like malaria.
During that year Paul witnessed the miraculous healing of a woman near death when a blood transfusion saved her life. God used that thrilling incident to change Paul ‘s trajectory, and at age 23 he enrolled at the University College Hospital in London.
Over the next ten years Paul became an orthopedic surgeon, married another medical student, Margaret Berry, and treated bomb victims during World War II.
In 1946, the couple traveled to India where Paul would teach at the Christian Medical School and Hospital in Vellore, India [1].
He and Margaret, an ophthalmologist, encountered many leprosy patients. It pained them to witness their terrible suffering.
A senior colleague suggested Paul study leprosy. Perhaps he could determine the cause of the deformities as well as an effective treatment. After years of extensive research, Paul was convinced: leprosy was not a flesh-eating disease, it was a nerve disease.
Damaged nerves meant patients lost the ability to sense pain, leaving a person vulnerable to injury—third-degree burns, deep cuts, and other serious wounds. When improperly treated, infection flared, which in turn caused the loss of fingers, toes, and more.
Even as research ensued, Paul put his surgery skills to work, successfully repairing hands and feet by moving healthy muscles and tendons where they could do the most good.
Restorative hand surgery, pioneered by Dr. Paul.
As some lepers regained use of their hands and feet, a new problem presented itself. They could no longer beg for a living and needed vocational training.
Paul founded the New Life Center in Vallore to provide those opportunities. He remained a surgeon by day but also became a teacher of carpentry at night.
How astounding, Paul thought, that God made sure I was schooled in both.
Through the 1950s and early 1960s, Paul served in several leadership positions for mission organizations focused on leprosy research and rehabilitation.
One day he and Margaret received an invitation to work at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in Carville, Louisiana, the only leprosy research facility in America. They and their six children moved to Louisiana in 1966.
For twenty years Paul served as chief of rehabilitation in the Carville hospital, and then the couple moved to Seattle where Paul taught at the University of Washington. He also continued to serve as consultant to the Leprosy Mission and the World Health Organization.
Paul received many awards, and invitations to lecture sent him all over the world until age 88, when travel became difficult. Just nine months later, Paul died.
Well-known author and friend of Paul, Philip Yancey, wrote about the doctor’s affinity for that ostracized class of people, lepers:
“To him these, among the most neglected people on earth, were not nobodies, but people made in the image of God, and he devoted his life to try to honor that image”[2].
Surely all could agree: Dr. Paul Brand succeeded.
[1] A previous post One Step At a Time/ tells the amazing story of Ida Scudder and the founding of the Christian hospital in Vallore.
[2] Grace Notes, p. 48.
Other Sources:
https://biologos.org/articles/members-of-the-body-reflections-of-dr-paul-brand
https://leprosyhistory.org/database/person31
https://www.teddingtonbaptist.org.uk/tbcgc02.htm
Image credits: http://www.picryl.com; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org; http://www.rawpixel.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.flickr.com & http://www.canva.com.
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What amazing and touching story. Isn’t it wonderful how Gods plan for each life far outweigh d anything we can conjure up? Trusting that all things are possible when we
Let Him complete his work in every human life. Great post ❤️
Thank you, Cathy. I too love stories like this one that illustrate how God fulfills Ephesians 3:20 in such glorious ways!
Thank you for sharing Paul’s heartwarming story. I was impressed how he used his extraordinary skills to do God’s will-not his own-throughout his life. He offered amazing contributions to mankind. 🙂
You’re so right, Nancy. Paul could have made a great deal more money as an orthopedic surgeon in private practice. God could certainly have used him in that capacity as well. But he had a different plan for Paul that did indeed provide amazing contributions to mankind, just as you’ve pointed out.
Just as Dr. Paul made nobodies somebodies, our precious Jesus did the same. He wanted the glory to go to the only One who deserved the praise, glory and honor. I so loved learning about his legacy here today, Nancy. Blessings!
Well said, Martha! I’m so glad you enjoyed learning about Dr. Brand.
Proof that God doesn’t waste anything!
Amen, Linda! Praise God for his attentiveness to plan each of our lives for the good of his kingdom!
Thank you for sharing Paul’s story of God’s love to all His people. What a life he lived!
Indeed, Brenda! He’s an inspiration to us all of following God’s leading and persevering on the path he opens before us.
Thank you, Nancy. What a wonderful account of a man who stayed faithful to God’s calling on his life! May we do the same, by His grace.
Amen, Dora. I pray the same as well!
What an inspiring story, Nancy! I had heard about the hospital in Vellore, but had never heard of Paul Brand. What an amazing life! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Sheila. I’m so glad you found inspiration here. Similar to what I said to Brenda above, I take encouragement from his perseverance to follow the path God opened before him–one step at a time.
An amazing story!
‘Couldn’t agree more, Dwight. I found myself continually amazed as I researched Dr. Brand’s story!
Nancy, thank you for refreshing my memory about Dr. Paul Brand. I remember reading this in one of Philip Yancey’s books. When we are available to God’s call on our life, He will use a surrendered life!
That’s where I first learned of Dr. Brand also–in Philip Yancey’s books. Philip held him in such high regard, all the more meaningful because of the time they spent together. He witnessed a humble man serving God with a heart for the forsaken among us. A surrendered life indeed!
Great story and one I didn’t know. I love when you share these bios!
And I love writing them, Jean. The discovery part as I research these heroes of faith is such a delight!
And you are so gifted in writing them too
Thank you Jean–for your support and encouragement all these years!
What an incredible man and body of work. Thanks, Nancy!
You’re welcome, Wynne. Couldn’t agree more with your evaluation!
Another impacting story of a life yielded to God and the results such a life brings for God’s glory and man’s good. Thank you for sharing this, Nancy!
You’re welcome, Patty. The ripple effect from his life must be enormous, with: 1) all the families he impacted, 2) all the doctors who continue to impact more lives through his research and techniques, 3) all of his colleagues who witnessed a humble, compassionate, persevering man doing his best for the least among us, 4) all the people who have read his books, etc. etc!! And all for God’s glory, as you pointed out.
dear Nancy, it is fascinating how childhood experiences, even the hard ones, can open the door for tender-hearted empathy and ministry so many years later.
thank You, Lord, for redeeming our pain and trauma, hurt and anxieties. only YOU!
Thank you for adding that astute observation and insight to the conversation, Linda. God can and DOES redeem the most difficult of circumstances!
Amazing how God led him to become a doctor treating lepers.
I agree–from that little boy with a squeamish stomach to a doctor who specialized in the treatment of leprosy–that’s an amazing transformation for sure!
It is really something how Paul ended up in a vocation that he (as a child) had determined never to do! I had never heard of him and really appreciated learning his story of obeying the Lord. And he didn’t stop with healing these people; he also founded the New Life Center to teach and improve their ability to earn a living! Also, I never knew that leprosy was a nerve disease instead of a flesh-eating disease. Thank you for this story. I love reading these real-life stories.
So glad you enjoy these mini-biographies, Cheri. As I said to Pam above, I read of Dr. Brand a number of years ago in several of Philip Yancey’s books. His name has been on my list of potential blog-post stories for some time. I greatly enjoyed learning more about him too!
Deeply inspiring. ❤
Praise God you found inspiration here, Anna!
There is no such thing as a nobody in God’s eyes. What Paul did was choose to look through the eyes of the Lord at people in great need. That he would end up as a doctor after having determined at a young age that he wouldn’t do that shows the power of the Holy Spirit at work in lives who are submitted to Him. What a beautiful story of seeing the best in the worst and honoring the Lord with his best. What an inspirational story. Thanks for this, Nancy. It really touched my heart.
Dayle, what a beautiful summary you wrote of Dr. Brand’s life! Praise God his story touched your heart.
I guessed that Paul would end up in a medical field, but never saw the value of his woodworking skills coming around again afterwards. Indeed, solve one problem and create another. In Paul’s case, fix one problem and also fix the other! What a remarkable life story.
I suppose that was one of Paul’s best, God-given gifts: solving problems! His was a remarkable life indeed. ‘Glad to have provided you with a surprise, Dave!
Thank you for bringing us this story of Dr. Paul Brand. I have never heard of him before reading this blog, but his story is so inspiring. I loved how God equipped him fully for his tasks in this world. It is a reminder that God is the One who designs us, and prepares us to walk in the good works He has prepared us to walk in. God bless you Nancy!
A wise insight, Katie, that God equips EACH of us for his tasks in this world, designing us and preparing us to walk in the good works He has prepared. We’re often much quicker to see that work in others’ lives, and don’t see it in our own. Perhaps one of our jobs as encouragers is to be that voice of affirmation, pointing out what WE see–God’s preparation leading to God’s work, and the good He’s orchestrating through them. Thank you again, Katie!
Amen!! I love how you have pinpointed our work–to encourage–to write–to help focus the body of Christ–on Christ. 🙂 Love it!!
Praise God, Katie, and thank you for being an encourager to me!
Oh, you are most welcome–and thank you for being an encourager to me!! 🙂