“Life is precious. ... To a person nothing is more precious than their life, and if they entrust me with that life, how could I refuse that 1 , saying I'm cold, hungry, or tired?” These words of Dr Lin Qiaozhi give us a look into the heart of this 2 woman, and what carried her through a life of hard 3 .
As a five-year-old girl, Lin Qiaozhi was deeply 4 by her mother's death.
At age 18,5 following the traditional path of marriage like the majority of girls, she chose to study medicine. “Why should girls learn so much? Finding a good husband should be their final goal!” her brother 6 , thinking of the high tuition fees.
Eight years later, Lin graduated from Peking Union Medical College with the highest prize. She 7 became the first woman ever to be hired as a resident physician in the PUMC Hospital. After working for a few years, she was sent to study in Europe and then, in the US. She greatly 8 her American colleagues, who invited her to stay. Dr Lin, however,9 the offer. She wanted to serve the women and children 10 .
The new People's Republic of China 11 Dr Lin Qiaozhi playing a key role.
She was elected to be the first National People's Congress and held many important12 . Her heart, however, was 13 . She was more interested in tending patients, publishing medical research and training doctors.
Though Lin Qiaozhi never married, she was known as the “mother of ten thousand babies,” having delivered over 50.000 babies in her lifetime. Dr Lin did not retire until the day she 14 , 22 April 1983. Even as she lay dying, her 15 thoughts were for others.
