Mary Elizabeth McCracken

Mary Elizabeth McCracken (February 2, 1911 – October 19, 1945) was a medical missionary who was also the first woman to overcome infantile paralysis She also headed the pediatrics department of her father's Refugee Hospital for many years.

McCracken was often referred to as the "indomitable Mary" for persevering to the end and not letting her paralysis hinder her service.

Background

Childhood Mary Elizabeth McCracken was born on February 2, 1911, in Canton, China were stationed as medical missionaries. Her parents were known as the "McCrackens of Shanghai". McCracken was the third of eight children. She had five sisters (Helen McCracken Fulcher, Margaret McCracken, Martha Constance McCracken Howard, Elsie McCracken, and Ruth McCracken) and two brothers (Josiah C. McCracken and Stewart McCracken). At the young age of thirteen months, McCracken was affected by infantile paralysis. She could not walk and constantly needed to be carried everywhere. McCracken's mother graduated with a degree in physical education from Columbia University, As a child, she enjoyed playing with Kewpie dolls and creating paper doll families with her older sisters. Though she faced many challenges due to her condition, McCracken was always a good sport. In sports events that required physical movement, she could not play with her siblings and instead took on the role of timekeeper.

Education In the fall of 1916, McCracken began school at the Shanghai American School, a private school that was two to three blocks away from the family's residence at 8 Darroch Road in Shanghai. She was pulled everyday to school in a long wagon by her mother. As McCracken had to be carried to class and recess, her mother often had to be present to perform such a duty.

After the family moved to the United States in 1920, finding a school for McCracken proved challenging. Only when a druggist from the neighborhood allowed an employee to carry McCracken was she able to finally attend a school. Eventually, in 1924, she went to the Watson Home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for both treatment and schooling. She stayed there until she completed high school.

In the fall of 1927, McCracken followed in her older sister Helen's footsteps and attended Lake Erie College. She roomed with Helen the first year and her other sister Margaret for the following two years. Her sisters helped with her wheelchair and carried her during these times. The college faculty was very interested in McCracken and her attitude towards learning. McCracken developed a liking for history, learned how to swim, and joined the archery team during college.

After graduating from Lake Erie College, McCracken went on to study at the University of Pennsylvania. She studied biology and received her Master of Arts in Anatomy.

As she told her father she was interested in attending medical school, he invited her to study under him in China. She ended up attending Women's Christian Medical College in Shanghai. She did so well in anatomy that the second year she was at the school she taught the subject herself. McCracken later transferred to St. John's University, continuing to teach anatomy. She completed a year of internship at the Refugee Hospital and then received her graduation diploma at the head of her class in 1939. in 1915. In 1916, McCracken and her father traveled to Boston so she could receive care to straighten her back.

In February 1919, McCracken began to go to the Red Cross Hospital in Shanghai to receive electrical treatments three times per week. She had to be brought home early to rest before every treatment, thus, she had to leave school early for each treatment. Though McCracken broke her leg in December 1919, she still persisted in attending school in her cast. In February 1921, the family made the decision to send McCracken to the Watson Home for crippled children in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to receive care under Dr. David Silvers. This allowed for greater independence for her as she went to school and made new friends. Being the “indomitable Mary,” she was an independent person, never letting others perform any task for her if she could do it herself. On the ship, she became bedridden with meningitis and was checked into a hospital when she arrived in the United States. McCracken died on October 18, 1945.

Legacy McCracken followed in her father's footsteps to become a medical missionary despite her battle with infantile paralysis all her life. As a result of her family's service in Shanghai, the McCrackens will always be known as the "McCrackens of Shanghai" for their service during such challenging times in China.

On her gravestone in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York, the phrase "Beloved Physician" is engraved.