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[VIDEO] Florida Doctor Operates Out of Toyota Camry to Help Poor

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Dr. Landrum and his 2007 Camry Photo: WLBT

Dr. Landrum and his 2007 Camry
Photo: WLBT

So far in 2015, it seems like the news has been plagued by dark, depressing stories, so it was nice to come across a story this morning that renews our faith in humanity. The story in question involves a doctor who helps treat the poor from the comfort of his Toyota Camry, which has become a sort-of moving office.

The doctor, Carrol Frazier Landrum, is an 88-year-old World War II veteran who has been practicing medicine for over 55 years. A couple of years ago, Dr. Landrum decided to take to the road in his 2007 Camry to help treat sick people who can’t afford typical medical treatment. Based in Edwards, Mississippi, Dr. Landrum travels 50 miles in every direction from his hometown in order to help those who would otherwise go without.

MSNewsNow.com – Jackson, MS

In an interview with the Washington Post, Landrum explained, “I’ve always had a heart for the poor. I grew up poor, and when the doctor would come to us, and he was happy to see us, I pictured myself doing that some day. I try not to ever turn people away — money or no money – because that’s where the need is.”

Unfortunately for Landrum and his patients, he is being asked to surrender his medical license by the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure, which is calling him “incompetent” after discovering he’s been practicing out of his Camry rather than an office. Landrum’s supporters are responding by starting a petition directed towards the state, asking that they let him keep his license and continue his work with the poor in the community.

Florida doctor helps the poor

Dr. Landrum’s medical license

The people that Landrum typically helps are those who don’t have the funds or transportation to get to medical centers in nearby Vicksburg, Clinton, and Jackson. Before taking his practice to the road, Landrum operated out of an apartment in a low-income complex, treating the poor, but was forced to close after gang violence made him fear for his safety. Landrum’s patients begged him not to close his practice, which resulted in his new, mobile practice. He now treats an average of three to four patients per week out of his Camry.

“After all these years, I still want to be like the small-town doctor who cared for us growing up — Dr. Coursey,” Landrum explained. “He was good and always happy. There was never a time when he treated anyone like they were not someone.”

You can find the petition online at The Petition Site.

News Source: Washington Post via Mississippi News Now