Hear Our Cry recalls Dr. Aletha W. Tippett’s “twenty-year journey…through the world of wounds, amputations and limb salvage,” complete with full-color illustrations.
This book is not for the faint of heart. Readers will need to steel themselves to view images of gangrenous limbs and amputated feet—not to mention pictures of therapy maggots—among other wound issues and treatment modalities. Yet Tippett’s self-described journey demonstrates how a physician can lovingly and successfully care for hospice and homeless patients and those in her private practice as she heals wounds and provides hope to an underserved population.
Tippett’s skill in wound care and limb salvage is described through a series of anecdotes and photos which, despite the hard-to-view images, is encouraging. For example, we learn how a young man who had an accident with a lawn mower was able to not only save his toes but go on to earn a college basketball scholarship and play ball again. Another patient, a former NFL player with severe diabetic leg wounds, avoided amputation. Along with similar brief case histories, the author also includes content geared to medical providers: She details best practices for wound care therapies that include wound dressings, laser therapy and the use of leeches.
Those who personally know the doctor will enjoy the details of her education, from starting as an accomplished chemical engineer to entering the medical profession in her late 30s. The spiritual path that led her to and sustained her throughout her medical career will also be of interest to those of like minds. However, the book is principally geared to medical providers and wound-care patients and their loved ones, and is unlikely to attract a general readership.
Written in a modest, conversational tone, these readers are likely to applaud and learn from Dr. Tippett’s success in caring for this unique population, one whose cries—as the author states—were “begging to be heard.”
Also available as an ebook.
