Heroism so often is a transient thing—hailed today, tomorrow, even next year; recalled occasionally a decade or more later, then usually forgotten as more current epic feats take the limelight.
Everlasting limelight certainly was not the goal of scores of Louisiana and Texas physicians, some of them in personal grief, who in June spent sleepless nights and days caring for victims of Hurricane Audrey without thought of any kind of reward. Even today, their work for the destitute refugees is a public service compensated only by the good will of simply helping. But while it may not matter to them whether they receive recognition, their experience matters a great deal to the medical profession and to the public at large. Until now, that experience has not been told in detail. It needs to be told—not only for its inspirational quality but, more importantly, for its value to people everywhere who