Dr. Stallings life ended in tragedy. A sad ending for one who helped so many people.
http://desmoinesregister.com/extras/iowans/stallings.html
I remember watching this with my mom in 1984 who just received a double mastectomy and this movie gave her some hope and joy.
How incredibly sad and tragic it is to find out that her husband (became divorced after only 5 years), the gifted surgeon who helped literally put her face back together had committed suicide back in September of 1991! What a shocking and horrible thing to find out. The link to that article said that he left a note saying that he was suffering from Epstein-Barr Virus and chronic fatigue syndrome and hadn't been able to work in over a year. Very somber news. May he rest in peace...
Here is the link to read a bit more this extraordinary doctor and individual: http://desmoinesregister.com/extras/iowans/stallings.html
**And if anyone is feeling as though they would like to hurt themselves (or others), here is a helpline to call: 1-800-SUICIDE (and/or call 911).
and its really sad cause of this
Leola and James Stallings divorced in 1972 after relocating to Des Moines, Iowa. Leola resumed nursing at Iowa Lutheran Hospital and Iowa Methodist School of Nursing, where she was a clinical instructor. She met Harold Swihart in 1981 and they were married in 1982. In 1998 they moved to Punta Gorda, Florida, where she contracted a virus in the spring of 1999 and died on May 19th of multiple organ failure.