Happy Birthday, Dr. Denmark!

Hello, Everyone and Happy February!
I'm still looking for January! Anybody know where it went?
But to start off this month of love, we shall hear about someone who helped give so many of the children we love a second chance: Dr. Leila Denmark.
“Every child should have a chance. Do what you can to help.” Probably some of the greatest words ever spoken and that great woman is speaking about your baby.
Leila Alice Daughtery was born in the small town of Portal, Georgia to Mr. and Mrs. Elerbee Daughtery on February 1, 1898, two years before the great turn. As the third of twelve children life could never had been easy but still she behaved as children should and kept up in her school studies. In 1918 she attend Bessie Tift College in South Georgia, which at the time was a small Baptist college for woman and she graduated in 1922.
After two years of teaching science in schools in Acworth and Claxton, Georgia she decided that teaching just wasn't her thing and enrolled at Emory University to study medicine. After being rejected (Most likely because of her gender as was common in that era) she was accepted into the Medical College of the University of Georgia in Augusta. She was the only woman in a class of some 50 men.
After her graduation in 1928 from Medical School she married John Eustace Denmark who was also from Portal. After their marriage they moved to Atlanta where she began volunteering at Grady Hospital. Later in the summer of that year Henrietta Egleston Hospital for Children (now Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta) opened it's door to it's first intern, Leila Denmark who admitted their first patient. During the 1930s she started her own clinic in her home as a pediatric doctor and continued this practice until May of 2001. During this time she researched the disease whooping cough or pertussis and created a vaccine that for over 75 years has saved thousands of children.
Leila and John we're married for 62 years with their only child, Mary. John Denmark died in the year 1990. Leila Denmark continued her practice until 2001 and in 2004 started to resided with her daughter. Over the many years she had developed many hobbies including traveling, sewing, gardening and even golf. On April 1st, 2012 Dr. Leila Denmark died at the age of 114 at the time being the 4th oldest person in the world.
Leila Denmark was an inspiring person and lived to save the lives of hundreds and even thousands of children. They were her little angels and always will be. She once said, “You keep on doing what you do best as long as you can. I enjoyed every minute of it. If I could live over again, I’d do exactly the same thing and marry the same man.” And that is something to quote.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to comment and wish Dr. Denmark a Happy Birthday!

MJ

Dr. Leila Denmark: Family Website - http://drleiladenmark.com/

Dr. Leila Denmark: Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leila_Denmark