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young readers
Reviewed by Carol-Ann Hoyte
New Document
Before Deborah Cowley spent a week in Africa in 1989 with Quebec physician Lucille Teasdale, the latter was relatively unknown at home. The publication of Cowley’s biography should change that.
In 1961 Teasdale and her husband, Dr. Piero Corti, established St. Mary’s-Lacor Hospital in northern Uganda. Teasdale performed thousands of operations in difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions. For over 35 years, the husband-and-wife medical team continually expanded the hospital’s services. They also realised their dream of having the hospital run by Ugandans they had trained.
Teasdale contracted the HIV virus when sharp bone fragments punctured her rubber gloves during an operation. In 1996, she died of AIDS, one of the contagious diseases for which she treated many patients. Cowley’s vivid portrayal of this extraordinary woman reminds us that one person can really make a significant difference, and will hopefully inspire others.
(Part of the proceeds from the book is being donated to The Lucille Teasdale and Piero Corti Foundation.)
By Carol-Ann Hoyte, a freelance journalist specialising in children’s
literature. She is also the Quebec regional co-ordinator for Canadian
Children’s Book Week.
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