Childhood And Early Life

American physician, activist and author Patch Adams was born on the 28 May 1945 in Washington, D.C. His parents were Anna Hunter and Robert Loughridge Adams. His father was a Korean War veteran who died while stationed with the US Army in Germany. Adams returned to America after the death of his father, depressed and suicidal. One of his close friends was murdered in the 1960s, and this tragedy had a strong impact on his thinking.

Education

Patch Adams was a pupil at Wakefield High School, graduating in 1963. He then enrolled at George Washington University and obtained an M.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1971.

Rise To Fame

Patch Adams founded the Gesundheit! Institute in 1971. The organization works with volunteers worldwide to bring uplifting humor and positivity to orphans, patients and others in need.

A film based on his life and philosophy, Patch Adams, was released in 1998. Robin Williams portrayed Adams in the film. The Robin William's film inspired the 2003 Bollywood film Munna Bhai MBBS.

Awards And Achievements

Patch Adams won the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award in 1997.

Personal Life

Patch Adams married Linda Edquist in 1975, and the couple had two sons: Atomic Zagnut and Lars Zig Edquist. The couple divorced in 1998. He married Susan Parenti in 2010.

Title: “FAIRFAX HOSPITAL PSYCHIATRIC WARD 1969” (0:02)

A hospital attendant tells a patient, “You crazy..”
Patient Arthur: “Another idiot.”
The attendant tells a ward clerk, referring to new patient Patch, “Self-committed. Suicidal.” (0:03)

Patch's roommate Rudy appears to hallucinate squirrels. An attendant injects him. (0:04)

Patch realizes the psychiatrist is not listening to him. (0:06)

Arthur: “You are all insane! Insane!”
Patch: “Self-committed, genius syndrome. Howard Hughes type shit.” (0:07)

Group session: Psychiatrist Dr. Titan, referring to patient Beany: “He’s catatonic.”
Patch: “How do you say hello to Hitler?”
Patient: “Beany, how does Hitler say hello.” (0:08)

Arthur tells Patch, “If you didn’t see something here beside a crazy, bitter old man, you wouldn’t have come in the first place.” (0:11)

Patch helps Rudy with the hallucinated squirrels (0:13)

An elderly woman on the street tells Patch, “Oh, you’re nuts.”
His medical student friend Truman asks Patch, “But what does this all prove other than you’re out of your mind?” (0:21)

Nurse Joletta tells nurse Judy, “But really, how good a mood would you be in?” (0:26)

Truman: “Antisocial personality, I believe. Intriguing diagnosis.”
Medical student Carin: “It’s to prevent transference.” (0:33)

Patch, performing for young patients: “I’m here to talk to you briefly about narcolepsy. Narcolepsy (0:36)

Carin tells Patch, “It was so much more convenient thinking of you as an idiot.” (0:37)

Patch tells Carin, “And our next award, in the tradition of the great poodle handlers, where no actual transference took place..”
”.. you didn’t say, ‘No way, loser, I’d rather have a lobotomy by a leper.’” (0:42)

Patch tells Dean Walcott, “.. laughter increases secretion of catecholamines and endorphins..” (0:45)

Patch tells patient Bill, “Ridin’ that morphine pony.” (0:51)

Patch tells Truman, “He’s gonna have the sex change anyway.” (0:52)

Walcott tells Patch, “Because what you want is.. to uphold some idealistic buddy system that will allow you to work through your own feelings of inadequacy.” (0:56)

Patch asks Carin if she heard “That I was in a mental hospital?”
”Tried to kill myself. The mental ward was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
”The patients helped me.”
”It was an incredible high.” (0:59)

A nurse tells Patch, “Oh, drunk driver.” (0:04)

Waitress in diner: “The government needs to pay for health insurance.”
Truman: ”Health insurance companies are why prices got so high in the first place.” (1:05) Chakravakam serial story.

Carin tells Patch, “Yeah, not verbatim, but the overall insanity’s intact.” (1:07)

Dr. Eaton tells Patch, referring to patient Larry, “His father died two years ago. Since then he’s been subject to fits of depression and self-mutilation.” (1:09)

Patch tells Carin that Bile is “An old friend without medical insurance.” (1:12)

Truman tells Carin, “This is crazy.”
Patch quotes to patient Larry: “Man needs madness..” (1:14)

Dean Anderson tells Patch, referring to Larry, “Carin Fisher was murdered.. There was a shotgun involved, and then he turned the gun on himself.”
Burial in cemetery. (1:26)

Patch, contemplating suicide by jumping from a cliff: “Yeah, I could do it.” (1:32)

Patch addresses the state medical board: “Now I’ve sat in your schools and heard people lecture on transference and professional distance. Transference is inevitable, sir..” (1:42)