The Patient as VIP

Abstract

My mother’s youngest sister, 14-year-old Ruthie Hulpher, suffered from chronic stomach aches. In 1933, her symptoms worsened and reached an acute stage of discomfort. She was rushed to the nearest medical facility but they refused to treat her. Her family was referred to a county facility that was 50 miles away. This facility, which still exists today, was one of the few hospitals that provided emergency care for the poor. By the time Ruthie’s condition was accurately diagnosed and treated she was beyond medical help. Her chronic appendicitis had been ignored for years, and now the accumulation of toxic materials had spilled over and contaminated her whole body. The family kept a vigil during the five days that preceded her death, and each mourned for many years the void that her death created. Poverty and ignorance were vectors that contributed to her death. Ruthie’s mother cared about her eight children, but she was a widow, and she barely earned enough to provide shelter and food for her children. Obtaining medical care for a child with chronic “stomach aches” was looked upon as a luxury that she could not afford.