Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic 50 Book Challenge 2020/What I've Read in 2020

48) Walking Free by Dr Munjed Al-Muderis with contribution from Patrick Weaver Dr Al-Muderis is an Iraqi born Australian orthopaedic surgeon based in Sydney who is world renown for his pioneering work in the surgical technique of osseointergration which has given amputees the chance to walk unaided again. Born into a well connected wealthy Iraqi family he lived a life of relative privilege however, this would change while he had begun his hospital training. In 1999 a group of military police officers stormed the hospital and demanded that the head of surgery mutilate the ears of a group of military deserters. When he refused to do so the surgery chief was summarily executed in front of his staff. The choice was clear obey and live or follow the Hippocratic oath of ‘do no harm’ and lose your life for it. Fleeing to Australia by boat, Al-Muderis would endure humiliation and mistrust spending nearly a year in a detention camp in the Western Australian desert before being granted a visa and begin practicing medicine. A beautiful story of hope and how people shouldn’t immediately prejudice a group of people based on preconceived notions.

49) Going Back: How a former refugee, now an internationally acclaimed surgeon, returned to Iraq to change the lives of injured soldiers and civilians by Dr Munjed Al-Muderis with contribution from Patrick Weaver now a world renown orthopaedic surgeon who has changed the lives of not only Australian amputees, but also many worldwide including former British soldiers wounded in combat (which would culminate in not only witnessing one of his patients walk unaided to receive an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for his fund raising efforts for veterans, but also a visit from Prince Harry) Dr Al-Muderis returns to land of his birth for the first time since fleeing in 1999. This goes over the technology and techniques used in osseointergration as well as stories from the lives he has helped change for the better. While the obstacles he faces with corruption in the Iraqi government over funding for the project, this shows his humanitarian side and his drive to want to make lives better for the people not only from his birthplace, but also from other countries what have suffered from the consequences of war.