Just a little dreamin'

Profolio Assignment #1: Write an introduction of yourself as you would expect it to be after your life as a physician (service, memories, accomplishments, etc would you leave behind).   

Disclaimer: I have many big dreams... this is just one of them.

We are gathered today to commemorate the accomplishment of our dear colleague, mentor, and friend. As you all know, Dr. Catherine Weyers recently received the honor of becoming the 2040 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway. We celebrate this honor and achievement today with Dr. Weyers. She grew up in the small town of Canton, Illinois, and went on to receive Bachelor of Arts degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Greenville College. It was while in college that she initially learned that millions of individuals around the world lacked clean drinking water, and she began to wonder what she could do to help. She attended medical school at A.T. Still University’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. While there, she participated in a variety of clubs, including the campus UNICEF chapter. Upon graduation, she married her college sweetheart, completed a family practice residency in St. Louis, and then settled into family practice in rural Illinois.

After eight years in Illinois, the couple slowly began the non-profit organization Lots of Drops, birthed from Dr. Weyers' undergraduate departmental honors thesis. The organization partnered with many other non-profits, as well as the United Nations to advocate the cause of those without water. Dr. Weyers' vision was that if a large number of people would partner in some way with those lacking water, that the quality of life would improve- not only for those lacking this basic resource, but that the life quality of the donors would increase as well due to increased global awareness. It is because of these partnerships that she shrugs off the honor, explaining,

“It was not through me, but through those we worked with that such great things were accomplished.  We worked closely with the individuals here in the States, and eventually in Europe through their universities, churches, and civic organizations to bring a better quality of life to those they’d never met. You see, people want to do good. They want to serve others. It breaks our hearts when the basic needs of those even thousands of miles away aren’t met. We also had the privilege of networking with wonderful organizations. There are countless individuals who work tirelessly to serve the under served- in office, and field work, governmental and nongovernmental positions. It was through them that we were able to connect with those in need, the most important group involved. We had the opportunity to explore what services they needed and how they would become involved with the upkeep and management of the water provision or purification system involved. Basically, we had to ask ourselves how could we empower them with the means to not only to survive, but also to live well.”

She and her husband raised over 10 billion dollars and were the direct liaisons for the provision of 800 communities across Southeast Asia, South America, and several regions of Africa with clean drinking water. Dr. Weyers handed over Lots of Drops to a partner organization in 2030, and dedicated the next portion of her life to further serving the people of Africa.  Moving her family to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dr. Weyers joined a group of physicians from Addis Ababa Medical College in leading clinical rotations through the throughout the rural areas of Addis Ababa, focusing primarily on preventative health, such as drinking water and malnutrition. After spending ten years working in Ethiopia, she and her husband have returned to the United States in order to be closer to the youngest of their 7 children, who is attending Greenville College. Her husband will be associate professor of Chemistry at Greenville College, and Dr. Weyers will be an adjunct professor of Anatomy and Physiology as well as teaching Bioethics.

In reflecting on the deep impact of her last 30 years of service, Dr. Weyers thrills at the differences  they have seen in the communities that this clean water has reached. She said,

“Children that were sickly and dying are now thriving adults. Those who were consumed with the wars waging over the few water sources available are now peaceful old men. Women who once spent much of their days transporting vessels of water to their homes have started small businesses to provide revenue for their families! It’s all so very exciting! And just think… 10 billion dollars seemed like such a large figure in the beginning! I would have never imagined that we would have even gone above our goal!”

And exciting it is! We are excited for the small role that we were able to play in your journey, and we celebrate your service to the world, and your acceptance of the distinguished award of the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Weyers, would you like to share a few words?