On February 7, 2016, an elderly man died in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Okay, but why is that remarkable?
After all, elderly men and women pass away every day, hopefully having left his or her mark upon the world.
Well, the man in California did just that—and in doing so, he changed lives for the better.
Thomas Rea is the doctor who, through persistence and forethought, paved the way for treatment of Hansen’s disease, formerly called leprosy. Rea, who was a dermatologist, long suspected a link between autoimmune disorders and Hansen’s.
Once his theory was proven, new treatments were developed that rendered the feared condition non-contagious and allowed people with Hansen’s to lead normal lives.
In his Los Angeles Times obituary, it was recounted how he would greet Hansen’s patients by shaking their hands with his own ungloved hands.
Scientists already knew that Hansen’s disease is caused by exposure to a particular bacteria. And how about this weird fact? Armadillos are known carriers!
The disease spreads from person to person through exposure—from an infected person’s cough or sneeze. Today, early treatment not only limits and/or prevents future disability, but it also makes Hansen’s disease harder to catch.
Unlike in the past, when sufferers were isolated from the community, including from their own families, because of Rea’s research and devotion to the Hansen’s population, this is no longer the case.
Patients are now able to continue to lead lives free of the profound stigma that dogged sufferers for a millennium.
So, on that February day, when an elderly man passed away, a ripple in the Universe occurred, because a new angel had joined the ranks reserved for the kind and merciful. Rest in peace, Dr. Rea.
