Mildred Scheel

As the daughter of a Cologne radiologist, Mildred Wirtz already knew at a young age that she wanted to become a doctor.
An unusual plan for a woman in post-war Germany: when her first daughter Cornelia was born out of wedlock in 1963, she defied all social expectations.
She does not give up her profession and masters the double burden of being a doctor and a single mother at the same time.

Her marriage to the up-and-coming FDP politician Walter Scheel in 1969 changed her life abruptly.
Instead of realizing her dream of having her own practice, she now primarily took on representative duties, albeit reluctantly.
It was not until her husband was elected Federal President in 1974 that Mildred Scheel saw her time had come.
As the new First Lady, she founded German Cancer Aid in the same year.
The organization became a project close to her heart.

Mildred Scheel stops at nothing for her vision.
She persistently collects donations, fights and argues and, not least, incurs the wrath of the German medical profession.
But her success proves her right.
Since Cancer Aid was founded, almost two billion euros have been donated to date - more than 90 million in 2014 alone.
And her central vision has also come true: Today, more than half of cancer patients can be cured.

She will not live to see the results of her work.
The dedicated doctor lost her very personal battle against cancer.
On May 13, 1985, Mildred Scheel succumbs to the disease that she has been fighting all her life.

WDR Television, Friday, June 5, 2015, 8:15 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.