Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams is one of the most remarkable human beings I have ever discovered, and I’m not one to easily be impressed.

And in the third hospitalization I had the realization, you don’t have to kill yourself, you can make revolution.” - Hunter ‘Patch’ Adams I didn’t wanna live in a world of violence and injustice. “In one year when I was 18, I was hospitalized three times because I wanted to kill myself. This is what inspired me to research the real Patch Adams. So if you haven’t seen the film, I recommend checking it out.Īfterwards I couldn’t help but wonder, who was this great man who pursued his convictions in spite of intense opposition? What was he doing now? And was his story accurate, as Hollywood is well reputed for entertainment and propaganda, rather than reliable history. Unfortunately this choice is met by great opposition by the authorities who are hostile towards his unorthodox ways, and Patch must also navigate personal pain and loss during the process. He does this by dressing up as a clown and using humor to connect with patients.

More than just making it free, however, Patch believes that patients should not be treated conventionally, but psychologically and spiritually by making them feel love, laughter, friendship and safety, in spite of whatever disease or condition they may have. While there, he learns that the doctors are not truly concerned for the well-being of their patients, which then this inspires Patch to enter the medical industry with the revolutionary approach of making health care free and available for all. The late Robin Williams on the left & the real Patch Adams on the right.įor those who haven’t seen the movie, the story is about a man who commits himself to a mental institution because he is suicidal.

It moved me to tears, not just because it was such a powerful film that addressed a major issue plaguing our world (the shameful state of health “care”), but also because I knew that what I was witnessing was actually based on a true story. I remember the first time I saw the movie Patch Adams, starring the late great comedian Robin Williams.

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