Archive - October 16, 2024

Josefina “Joey” Guerrero, as this author writes, was an incredible, formidable, brave, and humble woman who deserves to be recognized and celebrated. She faced hardships her entire life—being orphaned, getting diagnosed with Hansen’s Disease, watching her home country fall into the chaos and destruction of war, living under forced quarantine in Louisiana, facing racism and discrimination in the United States. But she always believed that she was here for a greater purpose, and her faith never wavered. Rather than wallow in illness, she took advantage of her diagnosis to spy for the Allies. Rather than wither away in leprosariums, she shined a light on the disease to advocate for better care and treatment for others. Rather than let her life drift away, she held it with both hands; she went to college in her 40s, got a master’s degree, joined the Peace Corps. She was truly an astonishing woman. From . . .