Survivor Nicaragua contestant and amputee Kelly Bruno was asked during her initial introductory interview for the show the following question:
Who is the inspiration in your life?
Her answer speaks volumes as to the type of person she is and how inspirational her family is to her as she vies to become the latest winner of the popular CBS reality show. She said:
“My father who was recently killed in the earthquake in Haiti. He was there with Food for the Poor to bring hope and aid to people less fortunate. My dad was a doctor, a teacher and a humanist. I most admired him and looked up to him for his willingness to help others. He lived his life to the fullest every single day. His legacy will be carried on by all of the lives he touched during his life.”
Already facing the challenges of losing a leg when she was just 6-months-old, this additional loss and the amazing story behind her father’s passing has me squarely in Kelly’s corner as the season unfolds. I followed up on her father, Dr. Richard Bruno, to find out about his interesting life and heroic passing.
Dr. Bruno was a professor at Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL. He worked as an assistant professor in the College of Liberal Education. About his decision to join Lynn Dr. Bruno stated:
“Around 90 countries are represented within the student body at Lynn. I felt Lynn was a perfect match because I would have the opportunity to continue to be exposed to the various cultures from around the world.”
When he stated “continue to be exposed” he was referring to his long and respected history of working as a physician.
He joined the U.S. Foreign Service and worked as an embassy doctor in Nigeria, Germany, South Africa and Saudi Arabia. When he wasn’t serving overseas as a doctor, he was on assignment in D.C., or providing medical support for diplomats at U. S. embassies in the Caribbean and Central and South America.
He spent 21 years in the Foreign Service and experienced firsthand the many alternate ways medicine is practiced around the world, worked closely with doctors from the CIA, and provided medical care to officials of the FBI, Agency for International Development, the Secret Service and United States Customs. Dr. Bruno was bestowed the high honor of being the personal physician to several Secretaries of State, including George Shultz, Warren Christopher and Colin Powell!
Dr. Bruno was a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., he had been to Haiti on several Doctors Without Borders medical missions before joining Lynn University.
On January 12th, 2010 a devastating earthquake struck the poor Caribbean nation of Haiti. Dr. Bruno was on the island at the time serving as a member of Lynn University’s Journey of Hope which was a student based mission to assist the people of Haiti. These trips began in earnest in 2008. Bruno unfortunately lost his life while in the service of the people of Haiti. Along with the doctor, five other members of the team died during the horror that came to the small nation on that fateful day.
Here is a moving tribute video for the lost members of the 2010 Journey of Hope team:
Lynn University – Journey of Hope – We Miss You:
Dr Cynthia Peterson from Lynn summed up Dr. Bruno’s impact this way:
“With compassion, care and a deep commitment to helping others, Dr. Bruno became one of Lynn’s most respected and effective professors. Able to impart his love of learning to his students, Dr. Bruno challenged each and every student to discover his potential and pursue his goals and personal aspirations. Beyond his considerable contributions to students’ academic achievements, Dr. Bruno’s greatest contributions to the Lynn community lie in his leadership as an advocate for human dignity, social justice and international cooperation. The consummate global citizen, Dr. Bruno committed his life professionally and personally to the service of others and to promoting a more just, equitable and peaceful world.”
Via the Lynn Univesity page in honor of Dr. Bruno the closing comments about the extraordinary man focus squarely on how the very most important thing to him were his three daughters; Laura, Kelly and Annamarie.
I bet like me you’re now in Kelly’s corner pulling for her to do well. If you would like to learn more about Kelly you can check out our post about her here. One of the best compliments a person can be given is for someone to say the world would be a better place if there were more like them. Well, the world would be a better place if there were more people like Dr. Richard Bruno.
