Benjamin LaBrot

Benjamin LaBrot

American doctor who treats poor children around the world for free
Country: USA

Content:
  1. Biography of Benjamin LaBrot
  2. Early Experiences
  3. Floating Doctors
  4. Patients and Challenges
  5. Earthquake in Haiti
  6. Future Plans

Biography of Benjamin LaBrot

Benjamin LaBrot is an American doctor who has dedicated his life to helping the poor. Instead of a successful medical practice in prosperous America, Dr. LaBrot travels the world, venturing into the most remote corners and providing assistance to patients who are unable to receive or afford medical treatment.

Benjamin LaBrot

Early Experiences

Dr. LaBrot first encountered true poverty when he was a medical student. He was working in Tanzania at the time, and the rural hospital ran out of medications. He was devastated and cried out of helplessness, but unfortunately, he was unable to help the poor people. It was during this moment, after crying for about 20 minutes in his car, that he vowed to himself to return and at least try to help, if not everyone, then do whatever is within his power.

Benjamin LaBrot

Floating Doctors

Dr. LaBrot fulfilled his promise by becoming a doctor, but instead of opening a private practice like most of his colleagues, he joined "Floating Doctors" - an organization composed of American doctors who help people in remote regions. A small ship called "The Southern Wind" takes these enthusiastic doctors to the most isolated areas in Haiti, Honduras, and Panama. In just two years, from 2010 to 2012, the Floating Doctors organization provided assistance to 13,000 patients. The chances of these thousands of people receiving any medical help without them were practically nonexistent.

Benjamin LaBrot

Patients and Challenges

The patients of Dr. LaBrot and his colleagues are people living in poverty. Typically, the medical ship "The Southern Wind" anchors near the shore, and the doctors arrive on land using a boat. Sometimes they have to walk for many kilometers, carrying their tools on their backs, to reach remote villages. Surprisingly, for some patients, LaBrot becomes the first doctor they have ever seen in their lives.

Benjamin LaBrot

Earthquake in Haiti

In 2010, after a devastating earthquake in Haiti, Benjamin led a medical expedition and, along with other doctors, stayed in the disaster area for three months. In addition to the medical mission, the doctors educate the local population on things like the importance of water filtration and hygiene practices.

Future Plans

Dr. LaBrot's plans involve not just treating people periodically but building permanent clinics in remote areas, providing people with consistent access to medical care. He does not receive a salary, and even his most grateful patients do not pay him. The Floating Doctors organization operates solely on charitable donations. Benjamin has sacrificed a traditional medical career, a family, and a permanent home to help others. However, he never regrets his choice because, as he says, he now has "everything."

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