Nicole Girard-Mangin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicole Girard-Mangin
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| Born |
Nicole Mangin
11 October 1878 |
| Died | 6 June 1919 (aged 40) |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Doctor |
| Years active | 10 years |
| Known for | First woman doctor in the French Army |
Nicole Girard-Mangin (born October 11, 1878 – died June 6, 1919) was a brave and important French doctor. She was the very first woman doctor to serve in the French Army. She worked in different medical roles throughout the entire First World War. She was also a special doctor who studied tuberculosis, a serious lung disease.
Early Life and Studies
Nicole Mangin was born in Paris, France, on October 11, 1878. Her parents came from a place called Varennes-en-Argonne, in the northeast part of France. Her father was a school teacher.
Nicole began studying medicine in 1896. In 1899, she married André Girard and started using his last name, becoming Girard-Mangin. She took a break from her medical studies to help her husband with his family's grape farm in the Champagne region. After they had a son, the couple decided to separate.
Girard-Mangin then went back to her studies. She finished her medical degree in 1909. She became an expert in tuberculosis and other diseases that can spread easily. Later, she opened a special clinic for tuberculosis patients. She also started doing research on cancer.
Serving in World War I
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In August 1914, the French military was getting ready for war. They were quickly calling up many soldiers, nurses, and doctors. Nicole Girard-Mangin, who was still using her ex-husband's last name, was called to serve. It's thought that there might have been a mistake in her paperwork. Someone might have thought they were calling up a male doctor named "Gerard Mangin."
However, her papers were all correct, and because of this, she became the first woman doctor in the French Army! But she didn't have an official rank or the same pay as other doctors.
Her first job was at a former health resort in Bourbonne-les-Bains. The doctor in charge there didn't like having a woman doctor. He wrote many times to the army leaders, asking for Girard-Mangin to be moved. But his requests were always turned down. The French army desperately needed qualified doctors. Within a week of arriving, she treated her first patients. They were wounded soldiers who arrived by train.
By November, she was moved to a military hospital in Verdun. She stayed there until February 1916. She finally received her first rank, becoming an "Auxiliary Doctor." But her pay was still only at a nurse's level.
In Verdun, she treated soldiers who had typhoid, a serious illness. In February 1916, Germany started a big, unexpected attack on Verdun. The German army moved forward very quickly. It looked like the hospital where Girard-Mangin worked might soon be captured. She managed to escape safely, taking all her patients with her. During the escape, Girard-Mangin was hurt when a piece of shrapnel (a small metal piece from an explosion) broke the window of her vehicle.
Soon after, she spoke up to her commanding officer about not having a proper rank or pay. After several months, she was promoted to "Doctor Major, 2nd Class." She also received all the backpay she was owed. In 1917, she was promoted again to "doctor-captain." She was also put in charge of a training program for nurses at the Edith Cavell Hospital in Paris.
While in Paris, she also supported the French Union for Women's Suffrage. This group worked to get women the right to vote. She also took part in American Red Cross meetings about tuberculosis.
Later Life and Passing
Nicole Girard-Mangin passed away on June 6, 1919. She was cremated at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Her ashes were placed in her family's tomb in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés.
See also
In Spanish: Nicole Girard-Mangin para niños
