Alice Stewart 1906 - 2002, British Epidemiologist
Good Morning, God!
A new day — and a new gift! Thank You, God, for showing me yet another unsung woman hero.
It was when I was reading the book Willful Blindness yesterday, that I learned about Dr. Alice Stewart an English epidemiologist — famous for her 1950s discovery that “exposing pregnant mothers to X-rays doubled the risk of cancer in their children.”
One might have thought, God, after that study was published, that would have been the END of exposing pregnant mothers to X-rays! But, they kept right on doing it, criticizing her data.
Her data was excellent! But, there were problems: 1) the medical profession was thrilled with X-rays — a new toy. 2) doctors — like the rest of us — resist knowing that they may have harmed people, especially babies. 3) there was a theory that radiation didn’t hurt us until it reached a “threshold” amount.
The threshold idea was particularly attractive — in fact, scientist even thought a little bit of radiation might be good for us. Alas, ANY X-ray a pregnant woman was exposed to harmed the fetus. Gosh God, this heroine seems quite relevant TODAY with our renewed worries about nuclear power plants.
Alice Stewart kept on researching, working and speaking out. She didn’t retire until she was 90. But she was so unpopular with the establishment, because of her findings, that the British embassy in Oslo wouldn’t even send a car to pick her up when she arrived to receive an award.
Change IS hard. And I am afraid, God, that most of us find it TOO HARD. I’m now coming to believe that CHANGE might best begin with repentance and humility. Sigh. Please, God, help me repent of my busyness.
Story teller,
As you know I went through many changes these last few months. Despite bouncing around I am now very happy with my new home, thank you God. The process was amazing and all of the external happenings have healed. The home needs more healing, however, I am safe now. One can take a number points of view on change. Is the change a blessing or not. My life has been about finding the blessings in the change. Oh, yes, there have been long periods when I have been on the journey down to the river Stix. The vales have changed in color until I slept in the dark for two years here at Arcadia. The blessing there was the three meals a day when I had to try to smile.Thank God for having people around me who were just there, not for me but just there. In NYC I would have become a bag lady had I stayed as I was unable to work. Every day when I went out I was going by so many women who seemed to become part of my future. The blessing here was that God found a way for me to keep my condo and rent it out while working in in NYC. And then, Thank you God again Arcadia appeared. I had no idea it was here. On the fourth floor I am living in God’s trees where I can hear the rain drops. I have not heard rain drops in years although I saw Rain Bows. I like living in the trees.
May you rest in God tonight