Yvonne Sylvain facts for kids

Yvonne Sylvain (born June 28, 1907 – died October 3, 1989) was a very important person in Haitian history. She was the first woman from Haiti to become a medical doctor!

She was also the first woman ever accepted into the University of Haiti Medical School. She worked hard and earned her medical degree in 1940. After she graduated, she became a specialist in women's health (obstetrics and gynecology) at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince.

As Haiti's first female doctor, Yvonne Sylvain helped many people get better medical care. She also spoke up for women's rights in Haiti, fighting for them to have equal chances in life.

Early Life and Education

Yvonne Sylvain was born in Port-au-Prince. Her parents were Eugénie Mallebranche and Georges Sylvain. Her father, Georges Sylvain, was a famous Haitian activist. He fought against the American occupation of Haiti.

Yvonne was one of seven children. Her sister, Suzanne Comhaire-Sylvain, also became famous as Haiti’s first woman anthropologist.

Her father greatly influenced Yvonne. She went to a special school called Ecole Normale d’institutrices. After graduating, she started working as a teacher.

When she was 28, Yvonne made history. She was the first woman to be accepted into the medical school at the University of Haiti. She finished her medical degree in 1940.

Later, she received a special scholarship. This allowed her to study at the Columbia University Medical School in the United States. After her internship, she continued her training at the New York Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital.

Her Medical Career

Dr. Yvonne Sylvain made many important contributions to medicine in Haiti. She also inspired other Haitian women to become doctors. Just 13 years after she graduated, eight more Haitian women had earned their medical degrees. They all started working as doctors in Haiti.

At that time, the University of Haiti had 241 medical students. Seventeen of these students were women, showing the change Yvonne had started.

After graduating, she worked for many years at the General Hospital. She focused on obstetrics and gynecology, which is care for women during pregnancy and childbirth. She also treated many other diseases.

Yvonne was very concerned about the high number of deaths in Haiti. This inspired her to become a doctor. She spent her time and skills helping Haitians with various health problems. She cared deeply about issues like infertility, overpopulation, and cancer.

She also became a professor of medicine at the University of Haiti. She wrote many articles for medical journals. She kept researching serious health problems in Haiti.

Later, she became the Vice-President of the Haitian Foundation for Health and Education. She was upset that Haiti did not have good ways to treat cancer. So, she worked hard to get X-ray machines and other medical equipment for cancer diagnosis.

It was her dream to bring more medical advancements to Haiti. She wanted to lower the number of Haitians dying from cancer. She was part of the Haitian League Against Cancer. She helped bring the papanicolaou test to Haiti. This test helps find uterine cancer early.

She also created a special committee. This committee helped raise money from France and Haitians living abroad. The money was for a hospital she wanted to build in Frères, a city near Pétionville. This hospital would help over 100,000 people get medical care. She remained the Vice-President of the Haitian Foundation for Health and Education until her death.

As her organization improved Haitian hospitals, she started working as a delegate for public health. She focused on reproductive health and research for the World Health Organization (WHO). She also shared her medical knowledge in several African countries like Nigeria and Senegal. She even worked as a doctor in Costa Rica.

Her Love for Art

Yvonne Sylvain also loved and promoted Haitian culture through her art. She learned from an artist named Normil Charles. She was also influenced by Petion Savain.

She was involved in many creative fields. She enjoyed painting, writing, art criticism, theater, and even radio shows. She was a very important person for her community's culture. Art, painting, and theater were very important to Yvonne when she was young. She grew up in a very artistic community. By 1932, she had shown more than thirty oil paintings and drawings.

However, after her mother passed away, she felt a deep sadness. This feeling inspired her to dedicate 28 years of her life to medical science.

Activism for Women's Rights

Yvonne Sylvain was also very active in the movement for women's voting rights. She was part of the Ligue Féminine d'Action Sociale. This group helped Haitian women gain the right to vote in 1950.

She also wrote articles about public health issues. These articles were published in the Ligue's newspaper, La Voix des Femmes.

Honors and Awards

The Haitian Medical Association (AMH) honored Yvonne Sylvain after she passed away. They recognized her as the first Haitian woman doctor.

See also

In Spanish: Yvonne Sylvain para niños