"I have to go to China, where I am desperately needed!"
In 1937, when the "Lugou Bridge" incident kicked off with the full-scale Japanese invasion of China, Bethune, a member of the Communist Party of Canada and a medical doctor far away in the North American continent, expressed his determination firmly and eagerly when he learned the news.
With deep sympathy for the Chinese people and dedication to the anti-fascist war, this international friend in a foreign country actively organized an international medical team. They crossed the ocean, and with enthusiasm and humanitarian spirit, they rushed to the battlefield in the far east.
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Unfortunately, during the difficult years of China's War of Resistance, Dr. Bethune suffered serious health challenges. In 1939, he died of sepsis in China. Before his death, he wrote a touching letter to Nie Rongzhen, one of the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party. In the letter, he selflessly distributed all his inheritance to those comrades in need, and made a personal request: he hoped that the International Aid Committee would give his former wife Francis a living allowance.
The story of Bethune's relationship with Francis is equally gripping. They had twice come to the end of their marriage, each time proposed by Bethune himself. Even so, why was the last moment of his life thinking about this ex-wife who had been abandoned twice by him?
One
On March 4, 1890, Bethune was born into a family of pastors in Ontario, Canada, and was given the full name Henry Norman Bethune. His childhood was not ordinary, he was deeply influenced by his grandfather, a surgeon, who had a keen interest and passion for the field of medicine.
As a young man, Bethune was admitted to the University of Toronto's medical school, where he earned a bachelor's degree in medicine. In 1922 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and began his clinical postgraduate career at the Royal College of Surgeons the following year. At this time, Bethune was thirty-three years old, had never been married, and devoted himself completely to the medical career.
In the same year, Bethune traveled to Edinburgh, England, to sit for an examination of the Society of Surgeons. It was there, by a coincidence of fate, that he met Francis, the woman who would become the love of his life.
Francis, only 22 years old, came from a wealthy family, but he was very different from the capitalist class that was high up in the upper class of society at that time. She is kind-hearted and has a deep sympathy for the suffering of the lower classes of society. When she met Bethune, who was passionate about medical care and had a dream of saving lives, she was deeply attracted by his lofty ideals and extraordinary temperament. In those days, Francis, as the daughter of a rich family, had no shortage of suitors, but in her eyes, those so-called "right-to-door" rich children seemed too superficial. It wasn't until she met Bethune that she really felt the power of love.
In those challenging times, Bethune and Francis's love and career intertwined to form an extraordinary story.
They married in 1925 and opened a clinic together in Detroit, with Bethune in charge of the day-to-day operations. For Bethune, medical care is not only a profession, but also a noble concept of saving lives and contributing to society.
Unlike his wife Francis's elegance and ease, Bethune was more inclined to care for the poor. Most of the patients in the clinic were poor people with financial constraints, and Bethune did not hesitate to lend a helping hand and provide them with medical care regardless of pay. This selfless dedication, although it has won people's respect, has also made the operation of the clinic difficult.
Due to long hours of fatigue and excessive work pressure, Bethune's health began to deteriorate, and unfortunately he suffered from tuberculosis, which was considered a terminal illness at the time. Faced with such a predicament, he did not want to drag his beloved wife Francis down, so he insisted on divorcing her on the grounds of refusing treatment. Although Francis was heartbroken, he finally complied with his decision and left him with endless grief.
However, fate did not seem to give up on the great doctor. Alone Bethune was unwilling to give up, he began to study medicine, innovated the "artificial pneumothorax therapy", and miraculously cured his tuberculosis. This achievement made him famous in the medical community, and he was even personally hired as an assistant by the famous MD Edward Archibald.
Under Edward's guidance, Bethune not only improved twelve medical devices, but also published several influential academic papers that made him famous in the Canadian medical community. His achievements not only brought him personal honor, but also revolutionized the medical profession.
However, the success of his career did not fill the void in his heart. Bethune, who defeated the disease, always felt guilty for Francis in his heart. So in 1929, he took the initiative to contact Francis, who had been hurt by himself. Although time has passed, the love between the two has not gone with the wind. In Montreal, Canada, they reconciled again and completed their remarriage.
However, the good times did not last long, and Bethune's medical career and family life once again contradicted each other. Bethune's heart was always occupied by the medical career and the ideal of helping the poor, and he devoted a lot of time and energy to his work, often not having time to take care of his family. And Francis, although he understands his lofty ideals, also longs for more companionship and care. She believed that family harmony was equally important, but for Bethune, treating patients and fulfilling his dreams of medicine was an integral part of his life.
With the passage of time, the differences in ideas between the husband and wife gradually emerged, and the contradictions deepened day by day. Bethune was well aware of his indebtedness to his wife, but he could not give up his inner career and ideals. After four years of remarriage, they are once again at the crossroads of divorce. Bethune's heart was heartbroken, but for the sake of his medical career and ideals, he chose to leave Francis again. This time, their love story comes to a sad end.
2. Go to China
After two divorces from his wife, Bethune's life fell into a period of decadence. He was a surgeon with a distinguished position in the medical profession and was not financially constrained, but his life was full of confusion and frustration. During those days, he often indulged in bars, and drunkenness became his means of escapism.
I remember one time, Bethune was drunken walking down the street and met a ragged homeless man. Without hesitation, he took off his coat and draped it warmly over the other. The money on his body was also often generously distributed to those who were begging. Although this behavior seems compassionate, it also reveals his helplessness and escape from reality.
During that period, Bethune fell into deep self-doubt. He couldn't help but reflect on the fact that despite the countless patients he had treated, he didn't seem to really change a world full of disease and poverty. Faced with such a reality, he felt deeply frustrated and powerless. "What am I trying for?" he asked himself, paralyzed by alcohol. This decadent state of life, as well as his two divorces from his wife, had a serious impact on his reputation in Canadian society. The so-called upper class laughed at his ideals, believing him to be nothing more than a derelict husband, a useless dreamer.
However, fate always inadvertently opens up new paths for man. In 1935, Bethune was invited to Moscow to attend a medical conference, a trip that changed the course of his life forever. In Moscow, he was exposed to communist ideas, which coincided with his innermost desire to help the suffering people. He was particularly interested in the socialist medical system of the Soviet Union.
After returning to Canada, Bethune decisively joined the Communist Party of Canada and became a Communist. But in capitalist Canada, the Communists encountered many ostracism and difficulties. Bethune and his comrades were treated unfairly in Canada, and eventually he chose to leave and go to the United States.
During his time in the United States, the Spanish Civil War was raging, and Bethune, with his resistance to fascism and his desire for freedom, decided to go to Spain to support. However, due to his political background, his time in Spain did not go well. After spending more than a year there, he was forced to return to the United States.
On July 7, 1937, the Lugou Bridge Incident broke out, and Japan launched a full-scale war of aggression against China. "I have to go to China, where I am needed!" Behune immediately decided, when he learned about the situation in China. He knew that his medical skills and passion could make all the difference in a war-torn land. His heart was once again ignited by his ideals and mission, so with a heart to save the world, he embarked on a journey to China.
3. The front line
In the late winter of 1937, Dr. Bethune was busy planning his trip to China in New York. He submitted an application to the National China Aid Committee, expressing a strong desire to form a medical team to go to China to support the war of resistance. Thanks to his unremitting efforts, by the beginning of 1938, a batch of necessary medical drugs and equipment was finally ready. Bethune led his medical team from Vancouver to Wuhan via Hong Kong.
In Wuhan, Smedley, an American journalist and international communist fighter, interviewed Bethune and extended a warm welcome to him. At the same time, the International Committee of the Red Cross welcomed his arrival. Soon, Zhou Enlai, then the head of the Eighth Route Army's office, met with Bethune and hoped that he could help improve the medical system in the rear. However, Bethune replied firmly: "As a military doctor, I should be on the front line." He insisted on going to Yan'an and going to the front line.
In March 1938, Bethune finally arrived in Yan'an. His first impression of Yan'an in his diary reads: "It is full of vitality and hope. In Yan'an, he felt a strong sense of belonging. Chairman Mao personally met with Bethune, and the two had a long and in-depth conversation, and they seemed to have a lot of resonance with each other. Although Chairman Mao also hoped that Bethune would stay in the relatively safe rear, Bethune's answer remained firm: "I am here to treat the wounded, not to enjoy care." ”
In April, Bethune arrived in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region. Here, he found that the local medical conditions were extremely difficult: there were no formal operating rooms and disinfection rooms, and many medical equipment were improvised and self-made, far from meeting normal medical needs. Faced with this situation, Bethune reported to Commander Nie Rongzhen, hoping to get support to improve the medical conditions here. Despite the limited resources and Nie Rongzhen did his best to meet his request, the newly built facilities were still very rudimentary.
During the frequent guerrilla warfare of the Eighth Route Army, the newly built operating rooms were often abandoned, which made Bethune begin to think about how to adapt to the combat style of the Eighth Route Army and design medical equipment suitable for field conditions. He invented a simple blood transfusion set and a set of portable surgical instrument transport equipment called "Lugou Bridge". At that time, blood transfusion technology was not widely available, and Bethune's simple blood transfusion set, which only required the patient and the transfusion staff to lie down with their heads and feet opposite each other, could complete the blood transfusion process, which was a major medical innovation at that time. The "Lugou Bridge" is a simple bridge-type wooden frame, which can be loaded with medicines and equipment, which is convenient for moving with the army.
In the midst of the rain of bullets, Bethune relied on these improvised equipment to relentlessly operate on the soldiers and treat the wounded. Even though his comrades repeatedly persuaded him to take a break, he remained at the operating table and refused to leave. This dedication to the medical cause and respect for life has won the admiration and distress of everyone. The intensity of Bethune's work is admirable and heart-wrenching. In those war-torn years, his figure became a beautiful landscape, bringing hope to countless soldiers.
Fourth, private requirements
In July 1938, Dr. Bethune arrived in the mountainous area of western Hebei Province and devoted himself to the work of the local health authorities. Here, he not only devoted himself to treating the wounded, but also single-handedly set up a health and medical school, trained a large number of medical backbones, and made great contributions to the health cause of the Eighth Route Army. Due to the limited resources of the Communist Party, not only are medical supplies scarce, but even basic medical teaching materials are difficult to sustain. In addition to treating the wounded, he used his spare time to compile textbooks such as "Thirteen Disinfection Methods" and "Surgical Dressing Changing Method", which provided valuable knowledge support for front-line medical work.
In the process of treating the wounded, Bethune found that if surgery could be performed at the early stage of the wounded, the cure rate would be greatly improved. Therefore, from November 1938, he resolutely went to the front line in Yanbei and Jizhong in Shanxi Province to personally carry out battlefield treatment. Although this decision was opposed by his comrades, because of the extremely high medical risks near the front line, Bethune insisted on his decision, saying: "The time of waiting for the wounded has passed, and doctors should be where they are most needed!" This firm belief made him particularly strong and brave on the battlefield.
For four months, from November 1938 to February 1939, Bethune traveled more than 750 kilometers with the army. During this time, he performed more than 300 surgeries, built 13 operating rooms and bandaging units, and saved the lives of countless soldiers. For Bethune, he was most proud of "not wasting a single second", and he devoted every minute and second to treating the wounded.
In the winter of 1939, the Japanese army launched a large-scale sweep of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region. While the battle was raging, Bethune insisted on operating on the wounded in a small temple not far from the battlefield. When the guards anxiously urged him to evacuate, Bethune replied without hesitation: "Soldiers do not abandon their comrades, and doctors cannot abandon patients!" He insisted on completing the operation even under enemy fire. During this period, enemy shells even hit the door of the operating room, but Bethune was undaunted and focused on the operation. During an operation, he removed his gloves in order to operate more flexibly, and unfortunately, his finger was punctured by a bone spur, which led to an infection.
Despite this, Bethune did not pay much attention to his wounds, but after a brief treatment, he continued to devote himself to the front-line surgical work. However, the infection of the wound gradually worsened and eventually turned into an incurable form of sepsis. Even when his body began to heat up, he continued to work until he fainted on the operating table.
Bethune knew that his life was coming to an end, but he had no complaints or regrets. He wrote in his diary that the time he spent in China was the most fulfilling day of his life, and he found his meaning in life. For his ex-wife Francis, Bethune was full of guilt, because he had to divorce her in order to pursue his ideals.
At the last moment of his life, Bethune wrote a letter to Commander Nie Rongzhen, in which he asked that his relics after his death could be left for other comrades to use. And his only private request is that the International Aid Committee can provide his ex-wife with a living expenses.
In the early morning of November 12, 1939, Bethune died of sepsis in Huangshikou Village, Tang County, Hebei Province, at the age of 49. He fought for the poor, the sick and the revolution all his life, and never forgot his care for his ex-wife until his death. Bethune's greatness lies not only in his contribution to medicine, but also in his great "great love".