Consultation under a tree: leprosy doctor Frans Hemerijckx 1902-1969

July 16, 1929, the last steam blast of the 'Albertville'. The family of Frans Hemerijckx stands on the quay and makes gestures: a pen that writes, a kiss on the hand. Full of idealism, the young doctor leaves for Tschumbe, Congo.
The bush has Frans in its grip. And the black people who suffer from leprosy. In the footsteps of Father Damien, he wants to fight this disease. In Congo. In India. In the whole world. Full of fighting spirit and enthusiasm, even more infectious than leprosy. And with success: the consultation hours under the trees still exist today.
Tens of thousands of ex-lepers, the loss of his first wife, the honors for his efforts, the violence of war and nature, the lonely life far from his second wife Betsy... Hilde Eynikel wrote the lifelike biography of this Ninove bush doctor, commissioned by the Damiaanactie.
Fruit crates full of wafer-thin sheets of paper and exotic photos: intimate letters from Frans to Betsy, warm correspondence from Betsy's mother, reports and memories. The author was able to consult the archive that had never been explored before. Hilde Eynikel, a doctor in history and journalist-scriptwriter, makes reports all over the world. She is the author of Damiaan. The definitive biography, on which the film Damiaan is based.