This article has been migrated to: Stan Brock, Founder of Remote Area Medical, was a Rupununi Pioneer on the Guyana, South America official website.
First Published: 25th of November, 2021 by Patrick Carpen.
Last updated: January 1, 2023 at 3:25 amBritish aviator, businessman, and philanthropist, Stan Brock, passed away in the year 2018. His body was cremated and his ashes were scattered over Dadanawa Ranch in the Rupununi Savannahs of Guyana.
Although Stan Brock spent nearly two decades of his life managing a cattle ranch in the Rupununi, he had traveled to many countries around the world during his long and purpose-filled life, and Guyanese should feel especially honored that he, or his family, chose to have his ashes scattered over Dadanawa Ranch in the Rupununi Savannahs of Guyana.
Stan Brock was the founder of Remote Area Medical – a non-profit organization which flies sick and injured people in remote and outlying areas to medical facilities in the city. The organization operated in Guyana and several other countries. Unfortunately, just one year after Stan’s death, Remote Area Medical’s operations in Guyana started to nosedive. In 2020, the organization announced that it would close its Guyana operations and in 2021, it was made official when they sold all their planes and ceased all airborne activities in Guyana.
This is truly sad since, for founder Stan Brock, the dream of Remote Area Medical was born in Guyana, but it just goes to show that sometimes, when someone dies, their vision also perishes with them.
“My vision for Remote Area Medical developed when I suffered a personal injury while living among the Wapishana Indians in Guyana, South America. I was isolated from medical care, which was about a 26 day journey away. I witnessed the near devastation of whole tribes by what would have been simple or minor illnesses to more advanced cultures. When I left Guyana, I vowed to find a way to deliver basic medical aid to people in the world’s inaccessible regions. So, in 1985 I established the non-profit, Remote Area Medical or as most people know us – RAM™. RAM is the way I have kept that promise, not only to the Wapishana Indians, but to thousands around the world in similar conditions. In other words, there are Wapishanas everywhere.”
stan brock – founder of remote area medical
Below is an excerpt taken from the RAM website (www.ramusa.org) about the life of the late Stan Brock.
Stan Brock was born in Preston, Lancashire, England. From 1952 to 1968, he managed the world’s largest cattle ranch operation, a 4,000-square mile combination of rainforest and savannah in British Guiana. There, he became a pioneer bush pilot and subsequently acquired numerous ratings and certifications including airline transport pilot. It was during this time that his vision for Remote Area Medical® was born after he suffered a terrible horse-related injury while living among the Wapishana Indians and was 26 days away from the nearest medical care. He then vowed to bring medical care closer to the people who needed it.
In 1968, he began co-hosting NBC’s Emmy winning series, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, one of the most watched television shows in the country, with more than 32 million weekly viewers.
In 1985, he founded Remote Area Medical – RAM® and continued to serve, without compensation, as RAM’s Founder and President until his passing on August 2018. Because of his work with RAM, Mr. Brock has been recognized as the pioneer of bringing free health care to people in need. Today, thanks to RAM’s corps of 120,000 volunteers, RAM has treated close to 1 million women, men, and children providing a total of $120 million in free medical care.
Mr. Brock was instrumental in the passage of the Tennessee Volunteer Health Care Services Act of 1995, which allows health professionals with out-of-state licenses to cross state lines and provide free care. He has been recognized as a CNN Hero in 2012, and most recently, in 2017, he joined the ranks of other prominent leaders like President Jimmy Carter and Mother Teresa when the Lions Club International Foundation recognized him with the Lions International Humanitarian Award.
RAM’s work has been covered by national and international news media including CBS 60 Minutes, NBC Nightline, New York Times, Washington Post, TIME Magazine, The Guardian, and The Times of London.
Stan Brock passed away at the age of 82 in Rockford, TN on August 29, 2018, after dedicating 33 years to his beloved organization, Remote Area Medical (RAM).
