Inspiration From Medicine Meeting Morals: Dr. Dan Murphy's Joy.

Growing up with a family doctor for a father, I couldn't imagine following in his footsteps until life had a different game plan for me. Join me as I share the awe-inspiring journey of Dr. Dan Murphy, a man whose life transformed from basketball dreams to a global mission of healing and compassion. Dr. Murphy's story is a testament to unexpected paths and unwavering service, from treating migrant workers in his hometown of Iowa to embracing the challenges of war-torn Mozambique and Indonesia. His dedication to medicine and humanity is nothing short of extraordinary.

Discover how Dr. Murphy's moral compass guided him to address suffering with compassionate care, impacting thousands of lives. His clinic in Indonesia became a source of support and hope, where he trained future medical professionals and tackled diseases like tuberculosis and malaria. Even in his later years, Dr. Murphy's love for basketball intertwined with his medical mission, creating a unique blend of passion and purpose. As we reflect on his life, consider your own potential to make a difference in your community with the gifts you have. What more can you do? 

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it.

Transcript

Your daily game plan for success.
It's Sax in the Morning, Steve Sax.
Hi, Steve Sax here with Sax in the Morning.
This is your weekly dose of motivation, inspirational stories and tips for personal empowerment, and, from time to time, on this show.
I think the best way to talk about how you can make changes and improve your own life is to share some stories of people who have lived extraordinary lives.
Enter Dr. Dan Murphy.
Murphy grew up in Iowa with a father who was a family doctor, and watching his dad help people day and night had him thinking man, I do not want to do what my father does.
So Murphy focused on his first love, which was basketball, practicing round the clock and earning his way to a partial scholarship to the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.
But as it turns out, basketball would not be his path, at least not entirely, and his knack for math and science and his love for people led him down the path he never thought that he would take becoming a doctor, with his heart tuned towards helping others in need.
He helped treat migrant workers in the 1970s and then traveled with his family to Mozambique for three years to help bring modern medicine to some very rural areas. After conflict in the region forced him to leave, he returned to Iowa to open a family practice and to reconnect with his first love. That was basketball.
Serving as a team doctor to the University of Iowa basketball team, he treated members of his community and athletes at the university for the next 14 years.
And so you would think that's it right A life well lived with many people helped and many people served.
Wrong, because during his time in Iowa, Dr. Murphy had taken interest in the conflict happening in Indonesia.
So in his mid-50s, when most successful people are thinking about spending time in their vacation homes, Dr. Murphy moved to a war-torn country and began treating the sick and injured.
He arrived just as the brutal dictatorship fell and set up a makeshift clinic in an abandoned Indonesian military clinic and primarily treated bullet or machete wounds from massacres.
As the violence dies down, 60,000 refugees came down from the hills of the country and Dr. Murphy treated everything from tuberculosis to malaria and malnutrition.
While the violence calmed, the country still struggled with disease and poverty, and Dr. Murphy spent the next two decades helping those in need.
His clinic has been responsible for training over 1,000 medical students, 40 nurses, 26 midwives and 26 lay midwives that treat women in remote villages, a vital need in a country with high infant mortality rates.
And, as of 2018, his facility would deliver upwards of 100 babies and treat 2,500 emergency cases each month.
And Dr. Murphy also returned to basketball, building a local court where he would play pickup games with the med students.
All this is impressive, but what inspired me most about this story was Dr. Murphy's view on his role in the world.
He said people are suffering.
I have the education, the experience and the skills to address their suffering with compassionate care.
I have a moral obligation to contribute to people's well-being because I have the ability to do it.
That is a pretty amazing philosophy for life.
Dr. Murphy passed away in 2020 at the age of 74, after an incredible life of service.
So where do you fit in?
What's your moral obligation?
To contribute to the greater well-being of the community that you serve.
You don't have to be Dr. Murphy, but you can find purpose in simply helping those in your neighborhood, your work or your family by using your own unique gifts and talents, just as Dr. Murphy used his.
And that is my short for today.
If you like what you heard, give us a positive review, subscribe and share.
Also, remember that the Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site.
Go to saxinthemorning_podcast.
You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link.
Everything's there: Mugs, hats, tumblers, you name it.