Tracy Kidder

Francis❤️. Harvard📕(67) Iowa🐤(74) Writer. Pulitzer Prize(1981)National Book Award(1982)Ambassador Book Award(1990) #practicesafetext

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

one day a solider came into the hospital armed & pointing a gun & Farmer says “who the fuck are you” Farmer without missing a beat says “i’m the person who’s going to help you when you’re sick” #savage Farmers medical knowledge makes him too valuable to Haiti & protects him

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

1990 election finally happens here in Haiti! Farmer becomes a political target and receives many threading letters & phone calls. I’m 1991 he isn’t allowed to enter country b/c military has placed him on no fly list. Père Lafontant is able to brise military & Farmer returns

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

An important fella that is instrumental in PIH is Jim Kim who was at medical school with Farmer at Harvard, there from the beginning in 1988 and those two both just got into Brigham Hospital. They are scheming a plan that allows them to spend half the year in Haiti & half in US

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

Learned about the Partners in Health Farmer helped create, incredible organization & is the financial backbone of the efforts here in Haiti. Whenever Farmer is in Boston he raises money & focuses on how he can help Haiti w/o contributing to institutionalized poverty #timemanament

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

Ophelia Dahl, lové of Farmer’s life. She definitely was somebody that helped craft his world view that rich countries have further subdued the poor & how can we blame kids for stealing food from a deceased woman.. it is all they know. Their love letters> wish they made it work

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

Farmers first impression of Haiti were in 1983 when he won a 1,000 scholarship for an essay on Haitian art. He spent money on going to Haiti and help the sick and volunteered at Schweitzer hospital & was shocked to find most Americans go there exploiting the poor for cheap sex.

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

The parallels between Farmer & his father are tremendous & provide symmetry between the relationship he has with his daughter. Farmer like his father has a constant desiree to tend to this immediately in need. A blessing but for this like his daughter & him as a child a curse.

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

common proverb in Haiti says “beyond mountains there are mountains” truly beautiful. Farmer said something amazing when we walked to see a patient who hadn’t come in for medicine in awhile.. “some people would argue this wasn’t worth a 5 hour walk” his optimism is inspirational

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

Farmer vividly remembers a time when he left because of personal injury and his patient here died, takes a lot of responsibility. Many believed the Haitians weren’t taken TB 💊 because they thought it was magic, Farmer studied it & found itwas because of extreme poverty instead

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

only in Haiti would a girl whimper she’s hungry while getting a spinal tape #sad Farmer luckily has a great financial backer of donors in U.S. so this great work continues as nobody could do what he does, combination of science, medicine and Haitian culture unmatched #🐐

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

Heading back to Haiti with Farmer, treats same number of patients as average hospital in MA. Takes time to understand patients culture & sacrifices own finances & time with wife and daughter for his patients. #dedicated #doktepaul

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

Been awhile but saw Farmer again, doing well here in Boston & the way he dealt with a man named Joe was incredible! Never seen a Dr take the time to really listen to a patient & be his friend. Wrote a note to staff saying “warmth, our drugs & 6 pack of bud” & they got it to him

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

Beheadings in Haiti & America seems to not have the authority to arrest those responsible... #bad look for us! Asked Farmer “does beheading have voodoo implications” & he basically said “no” & pitied me for my stupid question, provided great background on haiti #battleofthePHD’s

[Tracy Kidder @tracykiddder]

Back from my crazy trip to Haiti!! Got to spend some great time with Captain Caroll and the #troops! Met a very interesting man named Paul Farmer. Very intelligent lad who speaks his mind,& also happened to be on my flight home. Very aware of Haitians negative perceptions of U.S.