Ida Scudder: Healing Bodies, Touching Hearts

Christian Heroes: Then & Now #20

by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

Ida Scudder was sure she would never follow in the footsteps of her medical missionary father. But when she witnessed Indian women dying because their religious beliefs didn't allow male doctors to treat them, Ida heard herself pray, "God, if You want me to, I will spend the rest of my life in India trying to help these women."

Serving for nearly sixty years, Dr. Ida Scudder lived out the truth and compassion found in Christ. She pioneered a first-rate medical school and hospital, brought life-saving health care to rural people, and left an inspiring legacy that still touches millions of people each year with healing and hope (1870-1960).

Genres: Biography, Christian, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Religion, India

189 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

About the author

Janet and Geoff Benge are a husband and wife writing team with twenty years of writing experience. They are best known for the books in the two series Christian Heroes: Then & Now series and Heroes of History. Janet is a former elementary school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Together they have a passion to make history come alive for a new generation. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges make their home in the Orlando, Florida, area.

Reviews

[Whitney Newby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never met a "Christian Heroes: Now & Then" book I didn't like... but this was one of our very favorites. We always leave so inspired by how God proved faithful to these courageous men and women. Highly recommend!

[Kaitlyn Rinehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed reading this and recommend it. Her life was well spent for the Lord. I was convicted and encouraged.

[Breny and Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.
The courage, the love, the dedication this woman had for God’s children is beyond words.
Against all odds, she became one of the first female missionary doctors and a true inspiration for many future women doctors and nurses in India.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading this with my two daughter's and it was really an amazing story of following God's will. My girls were really into it to, which made it fun.

[Brooke Chessum · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listened to this on audio and it was the incredible telling of Ida’s life. Prior to this I had never heard of her, but her life is very worth knowing about. Born to missionaries in India, her father was a doctor in the small town of Vellore, she grew up and was thrilled to live life in America when college came. Upon a visit to India to help when her mother was sick, she saw how much death came to the women in India because, due to various religious customs, male doctors were not allowed to attend to dying women. Her heart changed and she chose to pursue medicine and help the women of India. She was among the first coed graduating class of Cornell medical school and quickly went back to India to learn alongside her father. He died shortly there after. She saw so many needs over her years in India and sought to meet them with compassion and accuracy. She started roadside clinics, adopted many orphans, started a nursing school, and eventually a medical college to equip the Indian women to pour back into their communities. Her impact on the area was unparalleled and she humbly worked until her dying day at 90 years old. She was remarkable and I am thankful to look up to her!

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Which is pretty miraculous itself considering my tremendous fear of Doctors, Hospitals, and surgeries- which comprised most of the book. At first I was positive I WAS NOT going to like it, but it quickly turned me. Ida's character was something I could relate to (being a MK myself) and was saddened greatly at the end. God's provision throughout this book was literally spectacular. Something that was good to be reminded of.

[Ruth Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un gran libro, me encantó demasiado. Realmente inspirador, una mujer que creyendo en Dios logró tantas cosas que siguen hasta hoy en día. 4.5/5

[Chandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Austin said this was one of his favorite missionary biographies so far. We all appreciated hearing how she was used by God, particularly to care for and teach women, through her specific training as a doctor.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

We really liked this one!

[Cadee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I read this book after learning a little about Ida Scudder in American Heritage Girls. We have a badge named after her. I like that she followed God's plan to be a nurse and deliver God's word to unreached people in India. I would recommend this book to everybody." -Cadee, age 12

[Georgia Herod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ida Scudder (1870-1960) was the granddaughter of the first American medical missionary to India, the daughter of missionaries to India, and sister of missionaries. Born and raised in India, she was determined she would never join the missionary ranks in India. But when she witnessed first hand three Indian women dying in childbirth because they could not receive medical care by a male doctor, Ida yielded her heart and the rest of her life in God's service in India.

A visionary woman, she started roadside clinics in the countryside, a hospital, nursing school, and medical college first for women only and later for men also during her 60 years in India, living out the truth and compassion of Christ. (Recently while traveling in India, I met folks whose lives had been impacted by her service--and who shared that she had changed medical practice in their country.) Inspiring and challenging, Ida Scudder's life has made huge impact on millions of lives in India, while her medical work continues to live on. Paul Brand, another medical missionary whose work with lepers changed their treatment, worked side by side with Scudder.

This book is one in the very readable series, Christian Heroes: Then and Now, which "chronicles the exciting, challenging, and deeply touching true stories of ordinary men and women whose trust in God accomplished extraordinary exploits for His kingdom and glory." The series includes 32 men and women whom God has called and gifted, whose legacies have continued to impact millions of people. Among those are Adoniram Judson, Amy Carmichael, David Livingstone, Eric Liddell, Gladys Aylward, William Carey, Lillian Thrasher, Lottie Moon, and Mary Slessor.

This series could easily be read by older children and adolescents.

[Rebekah Streeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

These authors do a fantastic job in their whole series of sharing history in an accessible way. The writing is good, content is rich, and it reads like a story. Ida Scudder's story is a powerful example of faith and obedience, and the work God does when we choose to work with him. I recommend this book and all the others by the Benges!

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

She inspired me so much. Of course i am not going to india but... I still like the book. Even though i want to be a teacher or a dancer sooo.......i don't think that i will be a doctor so yeah but you really didnt have to read this only if you really liked the " review" lol that sounded so wierd

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I have to say, this is one of my favorites, and maybe just my fav rooted out of the Christian heroes then and now series. The way God blessed Ida and the ways she just so simply trusted Him were amazing, and the ripple effects of her decisions and actions are truly amazing.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It truly amazed and inspired me. I encourage everyone to read it, and hope anyone who does will find it as inspiring as I did.

[Lisa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable. Inspirational.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this lady. She had spunk. She did a lot of great things for women and India. Her legacy lives on even today.

[Rachel Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!!!!!!!

[JD' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ida originally wanted to live in America and she probably would have gotten married had many children and lived a comfortable life. Instead after 3 women die in 1 night from complications of child birth, due to the superstitions and religions of Islam and Hindu that would not allow another man to touch or operate on another woman... you see the cruel side where women are enslaved and under subjugation of narrow mindedness.
In this way.. I see the need... for Ida to step in and save lives. Ida has common sense and wisdom that puts others 1st over religious platitudes.
Then you see on the other side Ida, who devoted herself to India and her medical missions of helping women. In the end she also gives her hospital to the men. I thought this was really wise. She let it go. She did what was best big picture wise.
But I find it sad that she would never get married and have children. To have a legacy that would live on beyond herself. Instead she had an orphanage of over 20 Indian brown children.
She was eternally rewarded.
Ida makes be fm reflect and think upon feminism. She was way ahead of her time. She changed India. She met Paul Brand who tackled leprosy and blindness. She also met Ghandi. She had a fascinating life.
Also some of the people who were racist and "backwards" ended up being done of the most generous people to the cause of helping woman of color and brown skin.
Feminism is an interesting topic of today.

[Krista Horn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating story of a tour de force woman who deeply impacted healthcare in India. Having been born in India to medical missionary parents, Ida never wanted to go back there to live. But, after returning to India to care for her sick mother for a while, she had a transformational experience that set her life on a completely different path than she'd planned for herself. In the span of one hour, three men came to the house looking for a female doctor to care for their wives who were struggling in childbirth. The men refused to let Ida's father, the actual doctor, care for them because their cultural and religious customs refused a man to touch a woman. Because Ida herself could not help them, they chose to let their wives die rather than be taken care of by a male doctor. Ida's anger and grief at the needless loss of life spurred her on to become a doctor herself so that, as a female doctor, she could care for female patients in India. Ida spent fifty years in India, sharing the Gospel and caring for the sick while also building healthcare infrastructure. Her story is remarkable.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ida grew up in India and kind of decided she did not want to live there. She went back because of er mom's illness, I think that was it. Seeing so many needs especially among women who could not be treated by male doctors, she had to go back. In this book, the authors tells of a night when there were 3 women who died because their male leadership in the home refused to let her

She was the first woman to graduate from Cornell medical school. She returned to S. India in 1900 to work with her father. He died shortly after she returned and she had to deal with feelings of not being ready to do medicine on her own. She started roadside clinics, adopted many orphans, started a nursing school, and eventually a medical college for women medical training. She lived until she was 90, 1870-1960.

[Tiff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dain gives this one five stars because of Dr. Ida's compassion, faith, and how many people she helped through her work in India. He was moved, over and over throughout the book as challenge after challenge arose, and God met the medical needs of the people in and around Vellore over the years.

I myself am amazed by her story, and her focus on elevating Indian women to serve Indian women. Her accomplishment in training Indian women with essentially homemade teaching aids and extremely limited supplies, only to have every single one of her first-year medical students pass their exams with flying colors, when the pass rate was usually 20%, and then to go on to serve their communities as stellar doctors is incredible. I would have loved to have met her.

[Sam Bijo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began reading this book as part of my preparation for writing a biographical paper on Ida Scudder’s life, and in just 29 hours I found myself completely immersed and finished it. Every line resonated deeply with me. Janet and Geoff have done an excellent job in bringing Ida’s story to life for the wider world. Her faithful journey with the Lord—especially the way she stepped into the unknown with unwavering trust that God would bring His purposes to pass—is both moving and inspiring. Certain moments from her life are so powerful that they compel us to renew our own walk with the Lord. Even today, her legacy continues to touch countless lives, especially through those who come to CMC Vellore.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a woman. Born to a missionary doctor in India in 1870, at the age of around 20 she was severely impacted by three men who came to their house for their wives who were having issues in childbirth. Ida’s father could not go in to help them - religious issues with Hindu’s and Muslims. All three women and their children dies. This made Ida return to the U.S. and become a doctor. She spent 60 years as a doctor in India, starting a hospital and eventually a Christian medical school to train doctors! The hospital and medical school she started are still flourishing today!

[Rivers: A Filipino Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kind of sad about how India was like back then. I guess that I myself would have not wanted at an early age to see people suffering in a way I could not yet descibe. But Ida, setting her fears aside and studied medicine to help the women of India? That's something truly heroic. At a young age she already had her future all laid out in 5 words: never go back to India. She detested all the pain she saw and wanted to avoid it. But as she grew up, she realized it would be better to prevent it instead. She served India faithfully for many years, and even more than what she expected...

[Heather Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great literature, this is not. What it is, however, is a great story about an incredible lady. Since American Heritage Girls recently changed one of their level award namesakes from Lewis & Clark to Ida Scudder, I’ve been interested to learn more about her. Now having read her biography, I can safely say that she was an amazing woman who changed the lives of so many people (women especially) for generations to come in impoverished areas of India. Glad to have educated myself more on her and all that she accomplished.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Ida Scudder, who felt God was calling her to help the women in India find good health. Per custom, males were not allowed to treat female patients. But the only doctor was a male. So Ida became a doctor to treat the females and build a co Ed medical school. She worked full time right up until her death at around 80! My favorite part is where she realizes that she has a big Job to do in India. Ida is my favorite character.

[Ardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life changing dedication of one amazing woman

I liked the book because of what the power of God can do in one in dividual who is in surrender to him I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn and grow and have compassion on other people who are in desperate need to survive

[Melissa B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I both enjoyed reading how determined Ida Scudder was not to live and work in India only to come back as an adult and stay there for 60 years! Ida Scudder faced many obstacles as a woman physician at the turn of the century, and yet she was able to do so much good for the country of India.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ida Scudder was an amazing woman! I can't believe I had never heard of her before. I doubt she meant to smash all kinds of glass ceilings and be so inovative; she just wanted to serve the people of India as a medical doctor, and yet she accomplished so many truly remarkable things in her very long life.