A healer amid turmoil

A doctor's calling

The historical narrative preserved in the diaries begins in the early 1920s. China was in chaos, caught between the collapse of the imperial Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the bloody conflicts of local warlords. Amid this turmoil, the young American physician wrote her purpose clearly, "I knew I would give my strength and knowledge to medical work in China."

Dr Hemenway based her work in the rural area of Liudu in Minqing county, Fujian province. She established clinics, trained local women in modern midwifery, and fought tirelessly to reduce rural infant mortality. Her daily logs chronicle the immense challenges of maintaining a hospital amid local armed skirmishes and the subsequent destruction during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

One legendary entry reveals the sheer depth of her courage. A prominent local bandit leader summoned the physician to his mountain stronghold for medical treatment. Though her hospital staff members were terrified and pleaded with her not to go, she defied their fears to fulfill her duty as a healer and made the hazardous journey into insurgent territory. Her absolute medical integrity ultimately earned the deep respect of the outlaws, who treated her with unexpected courtesy and escorted her back unharmed.

Decades later, her family traces the daring choice back to her core values.

"It takes an immense amount of courage to immerse oneself in a foreign land," Thomas Hemenway, a relative of Dr Hemenway, says. "Ruth went with a heart willing to listen, to learn, and to love."

That love took a tangible form in 1929. The physician adopted the month-old Hua Sing after learning her biological family was preparing to send her away to be raised as a traditional child bride.

Reflecting her hope for the country she had come to serve, Dr Hemenway chose a poetic Chinese name for the infant: Hua Sing, meaning the "starlight of China".

Dr Hemenway recorded the child's growth with precise physical measurements, while giving her a modern education that included English and sports. A family photo album reveals that Hua Sing even participated in a mixed-gender middle school basketball team — a rare level of social freedom for a young woman in early 20th-century China.

"That single act of love didn't just save a child," Thomas Hemenway says. "It changed the course of a family for generations. Hua Sing became the joy of Ruth's life."