Anita Figueredo facts for kids
Anita V. Figueredo (born August 24, 1916 – died February 19, 2010) was an American surgeon. She was also a kind person who helped many others. She made history as the first woman doctor from Costa Rica. She was also the first woman surgeon to work in San Diego, California. In 2015, she was honored by being added to the San Diego Women's Hall of Fame.
Early Life and Education
Anita Figueredo was born in Costa Rica. Her father, Roberto Figueredo, was a well-known soccer player from Cuba. In 1921, Anita and her mother, Sarita Villegas, moved to the United States. They lived in Spanish Harlem in New York.
Anita was very smart. At just 15 years old, she started college at Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart. She received a full scholarship, which meant she didn't have to pay for her studies. She graduated from college in 1936. Later, she was one of only four women accepted into Long Island Medical College.
During World War II, many male medical students were serving in the military. This created opportunities for women. Anita Figueredo became one of the first two women to train as a surgeon at Memorial Hospital for Cancer in New York. She was also the very first woman from Costa Rica to earn a medical degree.
Amazing Career and Helping Others
While she was a young doctor in New York, Anita Figueredo did important work beyond surgery. In 1946, she was one of several women from different American countries. They worked together to write a declaration of human rights. This declaration was part of the Paris Treaty process. Anita presented their ideas, and everyone agreed with them.
Most of Anita's career was spent as a cancer surgeon. She worked at Scripps Memorial Hospital in southern California. She was the first woman surgeon in San Diego. Anita was known for being quite short, under five feet tall. She often stood on a stool to perform her surgeries!
Anita Figueredo was also a generous person who loved helping others. In 1982, she helped start a charity called "Friends of the Poor." This group provided food, clothing, and medical care to people in need. They first helped in Baja California and later worked on three different continents. In the 1950s, she also became very close friends with Mother Teresa.
Anita helped start the San Diego College for Women. She also supported the San Diego Women's Bank. In 1954, Pope Pius XII honored her with a special medal called the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. This was for all her service work. From 1956 to 1968, she was a trustee for the La Jolla Town Council. In 2009, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Scripps Memorial Hospital. Her oldest daughter, Sarita Eastman, wrote a book about Anita's life in 2009.
Personal Life
In 1942, Anita Figueredo married another doctor, William J. Doyle. They were married for 58 years. William passed away in 1999. They had nine children together, and six of them were still living when Anita passed away.
Anita Figueredo died in 2010 at the age of 93. She passed away at her home in La Jolla, California, after a brain bleed. In 2015, she was honored again by being inducted into the San Diego Women's Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Anita Figueredo para niños
