Have you ever been sick? Chances are you have. Medical care is very expensive; a simple check can cost up to $100 and more. If a check-up costs that much money, think about the cost of an operation. If there was no Medicare or universal (free) health insurance, some of you may already be bankrupt. The inventor of this system is Tommy Douglas, voted the greatest Canadian of all time by the CBC broadcasting channel. This remarkable man was Premier of Saskatchewan for 17 years and the father of Medicare. Tommy Clement “Tommy” Douglas was born in Falkirk, Scotland on October 20, 1904. In 1910, Tommy Douglas immigrated to Canada with his family. Shortly before leaving Scotland, he fell and subsequently contracted osteomyelitis, a type of bone infection. His family was too poor to pay for the expensive operations he had to undergo to treat his leg. Miraculously, the doctor hired by the Douglas family offered to operate on him for free on the condition that medical students were allowed to observe the operation. The Douglas family accepted the offer. The doctor performed a series of operations that would have saved his leg, but an unfortunate side effect could mean he never bends his leg again. Much to the surprise, Tommy was able to bend his leg right after the operation, shouting, “I can bend my leg!” This leg served him well for 30 years. Nine years later, Tommy began an amateur career in boxing. Three years later, at the age of 18, Tommy fought his way to the title of “Manitoba Lightweight Champion.” He managed to defend his title for an additional year, in 1923. This also helped him finance his future college or university studies....... middle of paper ...... Inflation calculator » Bank of Canada. 04/05/14. << http://goo.gl/Kd13gv>>“Tommy Douglas”. The Douglas Coldwell Foundation. 12/04/14.<< http://www.dcf.ca/en/tommy_douglas.htm>>“Canada Health Act”. The Justice Laws website. 04/13/14 << http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/fra/acts/c-6/>> “Canada Health Act, page 2.” The Justice Laws website . 04/13/14. << http://goo.gl/fr1qPi >>“Canada Health Act, page 3.” Justice Laws website. 04/13/14. << http://goo.gl/gdzb6E >> Wikipedia “Shirley Douglas”. 04/05/14. << http://goo.gl/BIQXam>> “RCMP files on Douglas remain secret: RCOC. The Toronto Sun. 03/25/14. << http://goo.gl/crfJ0S >>“Leave British Columbia. » British Columbia Ministry of Health. 04/10/14. << http://goo.gl/SE1VYd>>“Medicare Protection Act and Regulations” British Columbia Ministry of Health 04/10/14.<< http://goo. gl/3YXl8o >>