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There was a time, several years ago, when I didn’t have any money. I was just out of college, didn’t have a job, and was trying to pay rent, student loans, bills, and to eat (if there was anything left). It was the first time in my life that I felt the real stress of poverty. It could have been worse—I had an education—but I couldn’t find a job and didn’t know when I would. I was two months late on rent and looking at eviction, desperately trying to sell everything I owned to raise the funds. Then one morning I woke up and couldn’t walk. My leg was swollen to three times its size and I was in incredible pain. After years of ballet spent abusing my feet, I’d neglected to care for the blister on my heel, and now it was festering. I knew I needed medical attention but didn’t have money, let alone insurance. Lucky for me, I found Dr. Bob.
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Doctor Robert Paeglow is a general practitioner in Albany, NY. He was in his mid 30s when he realized he wanted be more than a quality control technician—he wanted to help people. He started medical school at 36, graduating at the top of his class, and opened a practice in the poorest neighborhood of Albany. He takes no salary and treats people in need at no charge. When I hobbled through the door of his clinic with my swollen leg, Dr. Bob saw me immediately, got me antibiotics and saved my life. I was a kid—I didn’t know the danger I was in from the fast-moving staph infection circulating through my blood stream. I would have waited at home if not for the promise of free healthcare on Dr. Bob’s website. If I’d waited, I wouldn’t be here today. Dr. Bob saved my life.
He doesn’t just save lives here at home, he travels the world to offer his medical services to those in need internationally. After the massive earthquake ravaged Haiti in 2010, Dr. Bob organized a group of volunteers from the Albany area to travel to Port-au-Prince to help with the relief effort.
Image source: Timesunion.com
While Dr. Bob’s work is extraordinary—going far above and beyond what’s expected of a doctor in America—it has inspired other doctors to donate their time to worthy causes as well. It’s a domino effect, starting with one selfless doctor who exemplifies the spirit of generosity and care we all aspire to emulate in our own volunteer work. According to a profile on CBS, though Dr. Bob classifies himself as low-income, living in the same neighborhood as the people he serves, he may well be the richest doctor in the country.