The people in the town of Szopienice called Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król “Our Lady of Szopienice.” It wasn’t a compliment.
The six-episode Netflix historical drama Lead Children tells the story of Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król. She noticed that local children were coming to her for unusual illnesses. At first, she couldn’t explain the reason for persistent anemia, developmental problems, and other illnesses. Eventually, she traced the problem to lead poisoning caused by the local smelting plant. That pitted her against her neighbors and the communist government of Poland.
The government brought the full power of the state to bear to try to stop Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król and avoid a scandal. The townspeople were scared of losing their jobs at the smelting plant. They fought back with social pressure, including the mocking, saint-like nickname “Our Lady of Szopienice.”
Her story inspired me. It seemed saint-like, standing alone and standing up for others. Remarkably, she wasn’t driven by spiritual faith or practices. Instead, it was from a sense of ethical obligation. When a professor asked why she fought so hard against seemingly impossible odds, she said, “It is the right thing to do.”
Here are three things I admire about Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król: in the Netflix drama and in her real life, which the drama is based on.
Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król was not self-righteous
Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król deliberately avoided imagining herself as the only pure person among the sludge of humanity. She possessed no hint of self-righteousness, avoiding any feelings of superiority or entitlement even when performing acts others wouldn’t dare to do.
She didn’t consider herself special because she was a doctor or entitled because she was married to a doctor. Instead, she was a young woman trying to be and do the right thing in very tough circumstances.
Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król demonstrated pragmatic persistence.
She relentlessly focused her time and attention on what she could do, not on what was beyond her capacity. She took heroic risks with her health, her fetus’s health, and even her life to benefit others. She grew beyond her fears.
She lived out what some people call “The Stockdale Principle” after Admiral James Stockdale. Author Jim Collins describes the Stockdale Principle this way: “You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, and at the same time, have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.
That’s how Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król lived. She focused her time and attention on what she could do, not on what was beyond her capacity. At the same time, she maintained the belief that things would come out right in the end.
Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król demonstrated grace
Grace is important to me as a believer. I believe in God’s grace, and I believe that we should show grace to one another. Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król showed grace throughout her challenges. When people failed her, gave up, or perhaps lacked courage, she didn’t blame or shame them.
Lead Children showed me the life and challenges of an exceptional woman. She was humble and pragmatic and ultimately succeeded while demonstrating grace.
The townspeople still call her Our Lady of Szopienice, but it’s not a mockery today. Today, it’s an expression of love and respect. Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król died in 2023. Her granddaughters have created a documentary film and a dance performance, both called “Our Lady of Szopienice.”
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You know this blog routinely asks you for an application that might nudge you gently toward you may have been created to be, or what you may have been created to do.
Please think of a couple of people that you admire… and why.
Perhaps you’ll seek to imitate a trait. Many of you will compliment someone who has that trait or could develop it. Some readers will tell others who they admire and why. Other generous souls will forward this post or reply to me.
All feedback is a gift; some of it is useful.
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Terry Moore, CCIM, is the author of Building Legacy Wealth: How to Build Wealth and Live a Life Worth Imitating. Read his “Welcome to My Blog.”