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Christian Heroes: Then & Now #20
Ida Scudder: Healing Bodies, Touching Hearts
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).
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).
189 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2003
About the author
Janet Benge
142 books262 followersJanet 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 27, 2022
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!
September 22, 2022
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.
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.
June 19, 2012
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.
July 9, 2024
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!
November 8, 2019
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.
July 9, 2024
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
January 15, 2021
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.
March 10, 2024
We really liked this one!
September 11, 2024
"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
November 28, 2014
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.
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.
May 17, 2016
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!
March 7, 2014
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
July 9, 2015
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.
November 4, 2012
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.
May 24, 2013
Very readable. Inspirational.
December 19, 2014
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.
January 29, 2016
I loved this book!!!!!!!!
October 13, 2021
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.
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.
June 2, 2020
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!
January 9, 2024
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...
March 17, 2024
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.
August 18, 2022
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.
January 3, 2018
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
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
January 16, 2022
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.
March 22, 2020
Great story about how someone who never wanted anything to do with the Indian people became convicted by God to do something, becoming a doctor and expanding medical care in India to unprecedented levels in the early to mid-1900s.
February 3, 2023
I read the biography of Paul Brand and he had mentioned Ida Scudder and the work she had done in India. I then wanted to know her story. She went from saying she would never be a missionary in India to calling it "home." It was a great story of her perseverance and love for the people.
September 20, 2024
I read this book with my daughter as part of her 8th grade curriculum. Ida Scudder was a fascinating woman and I am amazed I had not heard of her before reading this book. We truly enjoyed learning about her and that the legacies of her work continue today.
December 6, 2018
Loved this book. Very inspiring.
February 5, 2019
Absolutely amazing story that my kids and I enjoyed together.
February 7, 2020
My kids and I loved this book. It kept all of our interest. What this woman did was amazing! I cried at the end and thanked God for using her as He did.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews