COMMENTARY | There are three people who will be remembered as trailblazers in the world of medicine. All of them faced a great deal of adversity, controversy and public anger while fighting for patients who had no advocate. They dared to speak publicly about issues in medicine that were only discussed in whispers and hushed tones. Their outspoken support for AIDS, HIV, substance abuse, alcoholism and physician-assisted suicide changed the way communities and the medical field treated patients. Whether you love them or hate them, they made life easier for millions of patients.
Jack Kevorkian: 5-26-28 to 6-3-11
Dr. Kevorkian, a retired pathologist, gained notoriety in the 1990s for his role in the assisted suicide of 130 terminally ill patients. He created worldwide debate at a time when there were no laws in place regarding physician-assisted suicide. States scrambled to put laws in place, yet he continued to help terminally ill patients die, landing himself in prison for eight years.
Known as “Dr. Death”, he was an eccentric who likened himself to Gandhi and wore costumes to his trial. The 2010 HBO documentary “You Don’t Know Jack” starring Al Pacino does an excellent job of telling his life story. In 2005 he told MSNBC “…my only regret was not having done it through the legal system, through legislation possibly.” Oregon, Washington and Montana have since legalized physician-assisted suicide. Dr. Kevorkian was 83.
Betty Ford: 4-8-18 to 7-8-11
Mrs. Ford served as first lady from 1974 to 1977 and after her husband lost his second bid for Presidency, her dependence on medications and alcohol increased. Her family intervened in 1978 and she underwent detoxification at a Naval Hospital. Using the same treatment model, she opened the Betty Ford Center in 1982 which has since helped more than 90,000 patients. Her openness about her own addictions, as someone famous, brought public awareness to the topic of alcoholism and prescription abuse. Betty Ford was 93.
Elizabeth Taylor: 2-27-32 to 3-23-11
Known for her movie star status, she left a legacy far greater to those suffering with AIDS and HIV. She had a lot to lose due to the stigma associated with AIDS and the gay community, yet she never wavered in her efforts to raise awareness and funds. Her work earned her a special Oscar in 1993 and during her acceptance stated “I call upon you to draw from the depths of your being to prove that we are a human race, to prove that our love outweighs our needs to hate, that our compassion is more compelling than our need to blame.” She paved the way for improved rights for HIV patients who were denied health care, jobs and education (Ryan White). Elizabeth Taylor was 79.