Superheroes, especially those known from American publications and films, often have some super powers and are usually focused on fighting against the evil. The hero of this comic book focused mostly on creating the good. Incredibly brave and ready to sacrifice, she had enormous faith in another human being because, as she would say, “there are good people everywhere.” Wanda Błeńska was closely connected with two cities: Poznań, where she was born and studied medicine, and Torun, where she spent her childhood and early adolescence. It was in Copernicus’s town that she started her medical practice and continued it there after the outbreak of World War II. She showed her intrepid personality when under a pseudonym of ‘Szarotka’ she risked her life in the underground activity of the ‘Pomeranian Griffin’. She worked with other famous women from Toruń: a teacher, Janina Bartkiewiczówna, and doctors, Zofia Kordylewska and Anna Dydyńska-Paszkowska. She didn’t escape getting arrested by the Gestapo. Thorough all her life she cared more about others than herself. Hidden in a coal compartment on a ship and then among transport boxes, she travelled hundreds of miles to find her severely ill brother, imprisoned in a German oflag. Helping others was the purpose of her life and that was why she became interested in tropical medicine – she dreamed of becoming a missionary in Africa. After a few-month course in Great Britain and over a year of trying to get a visa, Doctor Błeńska managed to leave for exotic Uganda. Despite many inconveniences (no power, no medicines, or equipment), for 43 years she was the only doctor in the region, helping thousands of patients. The ‘Mother of Lepers’ always welcomed her patients with a smile – she was their beloved ‘Docta’, who saved their lives. She usually performed surgeries on a camp bed. In order to have more light during procedures, she had part of the roof of the pavilion removed. She did not treat leprosy, but people with leprosy, meaning that she treated all diseases they suffered from. She had to perform complicated plastic surgeries and eye surgeries, amputate limbs, and at night she would read professional books. In Buluba, she helped thousands of Ugandans. “The first fifteen years were the most difficult,” she frankly admitted at the end of her life. With time, the effects of her work – besides hundreds of cured patients – included modern hospital buildings, a training centre for doctors and nurses as well as research on vaccine against leprosy. After she’d returned from Africa, she was happy to meet children and adolescents as well as girls scouts from a team named after her. She would say to young people, “If you have some good noble ideas, cherish them. Don’t let them fall asleep and don’t give up on them! Even if they seem impossible or too difficult to come about. You must cherish your dreams.” Even though she spent almost a quarter of a century on another continent, she never forgot the Polish language, she was interested in what was going on in her country, and she read literature. Over the microscope she would recite her favourite poems she knew by heart. When leaving Uganda, she left 25 chests of books there. “Son, sorry to say this, but it won’t last,” heard Teofil from his mother about his new-born baby girl, Wandzia. But ‘it did last’, and Wanda Błeńska lived 103 years and became one of the legends of the missionary Africa. On the initiative of the Local Government, the regional parliament Sejmik of the Kujawko-Pomorskie Region has declared the brave doctor patron of year 2021 in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region.
Piotr Całbecki The Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region
ISBN 978-83-959853-6-2
writer
Maciej Jasiński artist
Jacek Michalski
writer Maciej Jasiński
Photos from Wanda Błeńska Archive
artist Jacek Michalski
Wanda Błeńska is an incredible figure who has inspired new generations of doctors to bring help to those who are most deprived of hope, who suffer from pain and live in great poverty in remote corners of the world. Having recognized her evangelistic radicalism, the Holy See approved of opening her beatification cause in autumn, 2020. The ‘Mother of Lepers’ was born on 30 October, 1911, in Poznań. For many years she was closely connected with Toruń and with what is now the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region. In 1920, her father was transferred to Toruń to work in local education. Eight years later, in June, 1928, she graduated from a girls' secondary school there (Miejskie Gimnazjum Żeńskie). Since her early childhood, she had dreamt of becoming a doctor and serving on missions in Africa. That was why she chose medical studies in Poznań that she started in 1928 and completed in 1934. During that time she was an active member of the Academic Missionary Circle. Her medical internship and first years of professional activity brought her back to Toruń. She first worked at the City Hospital, and then at the National Institute of Hygiene. In August, 1939, she began to work at the Maritime Hospital in Gdynia, and she spent the first weeks of World War II at a field hospital in Hel, attending to the wounded. Once the military actions stopped at the beginning of October, 1939, she returned to Toruń. At the German Institute of Hygiene she was offered only a position of a laboratory technician. Despite the occupation terror, she took a great risk and engaged in an underground movement. In 1942, she became a member of the secret military organization ‘Pomeranian Griffin’ (Tajna Organizacja Wojskowa “Gryf Pomorski”), where she was a liaison and the commander of the female branch. In June, 1944, she was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned first in Toruń, and then in Gdańsk. With the help of the ‘Pomeranian Griffin’ she was redeemed, and then she returned to Toruń. Starting from February, 1945, she was the head of the City Hospital. Determined to help her seriously ill brother, Roman Błeński, who was staying in Hannover, she decided to leave Poland without any hesitation. On 9 November, 1946, hidden on a ship, she illegally got to occupied Germany. She worked at a Polish hospital and took a course in tropical medicine in Hamburg. After her brother’s death in 1947, she moved to Great Britain. In Liverpool, she completed further specialist medical studies. With great effort expended, she obtained a visa to Uganda, where she arrived after a month-long voyage in March, 1950. She first worked at a mission hospital in Fort-Portal. In January 1951, she began her practice at a leprosy colony in Buluba, and in April the same year, she became the chief physician at the Leprosy Treatment Centre at the mission of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mother Kevin from Ireland. For the first several years she was the first and only doctor working in the mission. From 1952, ‘Docta’, which was how patients addressed her, would conduct histological examinations in rough laboratory conditions. Years later she would say, “I treated patients with leprosy just like regular patients. Like patients who suffered from an infectious disease. I taught them hygiene rules and at the same time I told them not to be afraid of leprosy by showing them that I wasn’t!” Therefore, she only used gloves for surgeries, realizing that she could cure them only if they trusted her. Wanda Błeńska contributed to overcoming social fear of people with leprosy. In 1956, the ‘Mother of Lepers’ initiated the establishment of a training centre for medical staff in Buluba. Later she ran courses for the whole Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Burundi. In February, 1966, she opened a new well-equipped hospital with 100 beds in Buluba. The important thing was the treatment course that the Polish doctor had implemented – the then innovative sulphonamides and specialist antibiotics. Wanda Błeńska’s way of being, often on the verge of heroism, attracted others. She had followers among indigenous people of Uganda as well as her fellow countrypeople. The visible effects of her work included her participation in the research on vaccine against leprosy and delivering lectures at international conferences and the most prestigious medical congresses. On several occasions Wanda Błeńska had an opportunity to meet the greatest spiritual master of her times – St. John Paul II. She talked to him during his papal visit to Kenya in May, 1980, and to Uganda in February, 1993, as well as at the Toruń airport on 7 June, 1999. In April, 1993, she finished her mission in Uganda after 43 years of work. She returned to Poland and settled in Poznań. She died in the odour of sanctity on 27 November, 2014, at the age of 103.
dr hab. Michał Białkowski, prof. UMK
cover artist Arkadiusz Klimek specialist consultation dr hab. Michał Białkowski, prof. UMK ks. Jarosław Czyżewski translation Agnieszka Szewczuk ISBN 978-83-959853-6-2 year of publication 2021 print run 1000 copies published by Agencja Reklamowa GALL sc ul. Szosa Chełmińska 50, 87-100 Toruń gall@gall.torun.pl commissioned by The Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region
Contact: Office of the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region in Toruń Address: Plac Teatralny 2, 87-100 Toruń, tel. +48 56: 6218600, 6218610 e-mail: punkt.informacyjny@kujawsko-pomorskie.pl www.kujawsko-pomorskie.pl facebook.com/WojewodztwoKujawskoPomorskie twitter.com/lubietubyc instagram.com/kujawskopomorskie youtube.com/user/umwkp issuu.com/kujawsko-pomorskie flickr.com/photos/kujawskopomorskie
scenariusz
Maciej Jasiński rysunki
Krzysztof Wyrzykowski
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writer Maciej Jasiński
Photos from Wanda Błeńska Archive
artist Jacek Michalski
Wanda Błeńska is an incredible figure who has inspired new generations of doctors to bring help to those who are most deprived of hope, who suffer from pain and live in great poverty in remote corners of the world. Having recognized her evangelistic radicalism, the Holy See approved of opening her beatification cause in autumn, 2020. The ‘Mother of Lepers’ was born on 30 October, 1911, in Poznań. For many years she was closely connected with Toruń and with what is now the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region. In 1920, her father was transferred to Toruń to work in local education. Eight years later, in June, 1928, she graduated from a girls' secondary school there (Miejskie Gimnazjum Żeńskie). Since her early childhood, she had dreamt of becoming a doctor and serving on missions in Africa. That was why she chose medical studies in Poznań that she started in 1928 and completed in 1934. During that time she was an active member of the Academic Missionary Circle. Her medical internship and first years of professional activity brought her back to Toruń. She first worked at the City Hospital, and then at the National Institute of Hygiene. In August, 1939, she began to work at the Maritime Hospital in Gdynia, and she spent the first weeks of World War II at a field hospital in Hel, attending to the wounded. Once the military actions stopped at the beginning of October, 1939, she returned to Toruń. At the German Institute of Hygiene she was offered only a position of a laboratory technician. Despite the occupation terror, she took a great risk and engaged in an underground movement. In 1942, she became a member of the secret military organization ‘Pomeranian Griffin’ (Tajna Organizacja Wojskowa “Gryf Pomorski”), where she was a liaison and the commander of the female branch. In June, 1944, she was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned first in Toruń, and then in Gdańsk. With the help of the ‘Pomeranian Griffin’ she was redeemed, and then she returned to Toruń. Starting from February, 1945, she was the head of the City Hospital. Determined to help her seriously ill brother, Roman Błeński, who was staying in Hannover, she decided to leave Poland without any hesitation. On 9 November, 1946, hidden on a ship, she illegally got to occupied Germany. She worked at a Polish hospital and took a course in tropical medicine in Hamburg. After her brother’s death in 1947, she moved to Great Britain. In Liverpool, she completed further specialist medical studies. With great effort expended, she obtained a visa to Uganda, where she arrived after a month-long voyage in March, 1950. She first worked at a mission hospital in Fort-Portal. In January 1951, she began her practice at a leprosy colony in Buluba, and in April the same year, she became the chief physician at the Leprosy Treatment Centre at the mission of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mother Kevin from Ireland. For the first several years she was the first and only doctor working in the mission. From 1952, ‘Docta’, which was how patients addressed her, would conduct histological examinations in rough laboratory conditions. Years later she would say, “I treated patients with leprosy just like regular patients. Like patients who suffered from an infectious disease. I taught them hygiene rules and at the same time I told them not to be afraid of leprosy by showing them that I wasn’t!” Therefore, she only used gloves for surgeries, realizing that she could cure them only if they trusted her. Wanda Błeńska contributed to overcoming social fear of people with leprosy. In 1956, the ‘Mother of Lepers’ initiated the establishment of a training centre for medical staff in Buluba. Later she ran courses for the whole Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Burundi. In February, 1966, she opened a new well-equipped hospital with 100 beds in Buluba. The important thing was the treatment course that the Polish doctor had implemented – the then innovative sulphonamides and specialist antibiotics. Wanda Błeńska’s way of being, often on the verge of heroism, attracted others. She had followers among indigenous people of Uganda as well as her fellow countrypeople. The visible effects of her work included her participation in the research on vaccine against leprosy and delivering lectures at international conferences and the most prestigious medical congresses. On several occasions Wanda Błeńska had an opportunity to meet the greatest spiritual master of her times – St. John Paul II. She talked to him during his papal visit to Kenya in May, 1980, and to Uganda in February, 1993, as well as at the Toruń airport on 7 June, 1999. In April, 1993, she finished her mission in Uganda after 43 years of work. She returned to Poland and settled in Poznań. She died in the odour of sanctity on 27 November, 2014, at the age of 103.
dr hab. Michał Białkowski, prof. UMK
cover artist Arkadiusz Klimek specialist consultation dr hab. Michał Białkowski, prof. UMK ks. Jarosław Czyżewski translation Agnieszka Szewczuk ISBN 978-83-959853-6-2 year of publication 2021 print run 1000 copies published by Agencja Reklamowa GALL sc ul. Szosa Chełmińska 50, 87-100 Toruń gall@gall.torun.pl commissioned by The Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region
Contact: Office of the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region in Toruń Address: Plac Teatralny 2, 87-100 Toruń, tel. +48 56: 6218600, 6218610 e-mail: punkt.informacyjny@kujawsko-pomorskie.pl www.kujawsko-pomorskie.pl facebook.com/WojewodztwoKujawskoPomorskie twitter.com/lubietubyc instagram.com/kujawskopomorskie youtube.com/user/umwkp issuu.com/kujawsko-pomorskie flickr.com/photos/kujawskopomorskie
Superheroes, especially those known from American publications and films, often have some super powers and are usually focused on fighting against the evil. The hero of this comic book focused mostly on creating the good. Incredibly brave and ready to sacrifice, she had enormous faith in another human being because, as she would say, “there are good people everywhere.” Wanda Błeńska was closely connected with two cities: Poznań, where she was born and studied medicine, and Torun, where she spent her childhood and early adolescence. It was in Copernicus’s town that she started her medical practice and continued it there after the outbreak of World War II. She showed her intrepid personality when under a pseudonym of ‘Szarotka’ she risked her life in the underground activity of the ‘Pomeranian Griffin’. She worked with other famous women from Toruń: a teacher, Janina Bartkiewiczówna, and doctors, Zofia Kordylewska and Anna Dydyńska-Paszkowska. She didn’t escape getting arrested by the Gestapo. Thorough all her life she cared more about others than herself. Hidden in a coal compartment on a ship and then among transport boxes, she travelled hundreds of miles to find her severely ill brother, imprisoned in a German oflag. Helping others was the purpose of her life and that was why she became interested in tropical medicine – she dreamed of becoming a missionary in Africa. After a few-month course in Great Britain and over a year of trying to get a visa, Doctor Błeńska managed to leave for exotic Uganda. Despite many inconveniences (no power, no medicines, or equipment), for 43 years she was the only doctor in the region, helping thousands of patients. The ‘Mother of Lepers’ always welcomed her patients with a smile – she was their beloved ‘Docta’, who saved their lives. She usually performed surgeries on a camp bed. In order to have more light during procedures, she had part of the roof of the pavilion removed. She did not treat leprosy, but people with leprosy, meaning that she treated all diseases they suffered from. She had to perform complicated plastic surgeries and eye surgeries, amputate limbs, and at night she would read professional books. In Buluba, she helped thousands of Ugandans. “The first fifteen years were the most difficult,” she frankly admitted at the end of her life. With time, the effects of her work – besides hundreds of cured patients – included modern hospital buildings, a training centre for doctors and nurses as well as research on vaccine against leprosy. After she’d returned from Africa, she was happy to meet children and adolescents as well as girls scouts from a team named after her. She would say to young people, “If you have some good noble ideas, cherish them. Don’t let them fall asleep and don’t give up on them! Even if they seem impossible or too difficult to come about. You must cherish your dreams.” Even though she spent almost a quarter of a century on another continent, she never forgot the Polish language, she was interested in what was going on in her country, and she read literature. Over the microscope she would recite her favourite poems she knew by heart. When leaving Uganda, she left 25 chests of books there. “Son, sorry to say this, but it won’t last,” heard Teofil from his mother about his new-born baby girl, Wandzia. But ‘it did last’, and Wanda Błeńska lived 103 years and became one of the legends of the missionary Africa. On the initiative of the Local Government, the regional parliament Sejmik of the Kujawko-Pomorskie Region has declared the brave doctor patron of year 2021 in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region.
Piotr Całbecki The Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region
ISBN 978-83-959853-6-2
writer
Maciej Jasiński artist
Jacek Michalski