Norman Bethune (1890-1939) was a doctor who devoted his life to helping others. Bethune's fame in Canada has resulted from his status as a hero in the People's Republic of China. While there, he worked with doctors and students of medicine in war zones passing on his knowledge and skills, while learning the ways of Communism, which interested him greatly. He had the opportunity to meet Mao Zedong before his life was cut short from a blood infection while working in China.