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The Original Founder: Luke Tupper
Written by Jerry Tupper
Fr. Luke, a former Navy and Marine Corps doctor, first witnessed the
medical deprivation of the children of South America while traveling to the
South Pole aboard a U.S. Navy icebreaker. After five years of service, Dr. Luke
started a residency in plastic surgery at the University of Chicago. Haunted by
the memories of the children, he resigned his residency and entered the
Franciscan Order.
After his ordination, Fr. Luke was assigned to Brazil and began the overwhelming
task of bringing medical care to people in the region. Without money, medicine,
vaccines, or equipment, Fr. Luke was determined to reduce the appalling infant
mortality rate which approached 50% in some isolated villages. Help poured in
form the United States and Europe. The following pages tell the incredible story
of a selfless man who devoted his life to the children of the developing world.
For four year old Luke Tupper, 1937 was a bummer. Gone were his parents, his
baby brother, his house, his playmates, and his toys. He spent the year in St.
Joseph's Orphanage in Cincinnati, and although his two older brothers and sister
were with him, they were in school and seldom saw him.
1938 was much better. Luke was reunited with his mother and his brothers and
sister. He went to Cairo, Illinois to live with his grandmother. Even at the
tender age of five, he had decided on his goals in life he wanted to be a
doctor and he wanted to be rich. His stint in the orphanage was all he wanted
of poverty. Through his childhood years, Luke worked like a trooper doing any
work he could find delivering newspapers, yard work, farm work anything Luke
could do to make money. Most of the money that Luke made he saved because he
knew that medical school was going to be a very expensive proposition. Luke's
mom, a school teacher (and 1963 Michigan Mother of the Year), moved the family
to Michigan.
Luke graduated from high school in St. Louis, Michigan in 1951 and started
college at Marquette University in Milwaukee. School was expensive and one
memorable summer he worked full time jobs in a brewery and as a playground
director for the city of Milwaukee. He also worked part time as an auditor in a
hotel on nights and weekends. At the end of the summer of 100-hour weeks, Luke
had managed to save $1200. After paying $1000 for tuition and $150 for a
microscope, he had $50 left. Luke graduated from Marquette University Medical
School in 1959 he had accomplished his first goal in life. He then fulfilled
his service commitment in the U.S. Navy, with a year in the U.S. Naval hospital
in San Diego, two years as the physician on the icebreaker U.S.S. Burton Island
and the final two years as a doctor at the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot in
San Diego. Luke also managed to do some moonlighting in rural clinics on nights
and weekends.
After his discharge form the Navy in 1963, Luke was ready to pursue his second
goal, that of becoming rich. He entered a residency in plastic surgery at the
University of Chicago. Suddenly, several months into the residency Luke quit,
gave away his life savings of $10,000, his car and furniture, took a vow of
poverty and joined the Franciscan Order to study for the priesthood. Knowing
Luke's love for money, his decision astonished his family and friends. After his
ordination as Franciscan priest in December, 1969, Fr, Luke was assigned to the
central Amazon city of Santarém, midway between Belém on the Atlantic and the
old rubber capital of Manaus on the upper Amazon.
In 1972, a medical clinic, the Clinica Dos Pobres (Clinic of the Poor) was
completed. The Clinica Dos Pobres became the cornerstone of the Fundação
Esperança. Over the years, other buildings have been constructed to house the
burgeoning training programs, including a dental clinic, laboratory, operating
theater and recovery rooms, classrooms, and living quarters for students and
medical volunteers. Luke passed away on September 18, 1978. He was killed in a
motorcycle accident while continuing his studies at Ohio State University.
Though Luke may be gone, his legacy of compassion and caring continues.