Personal Life Overview

     I longed for the perfect childhood or hoped that my love for science would bring me good fortune. Everything I do in life is for the good of others, I never intended to receive pay for the many discoveries I had made. Simply seeing others being able to live and benefit from my works makes me content. Knowing that I do everything for a good cause, I do not understand why life has been filled with such tragedies.  Three of my five children died from childhood illness. My beloved sister, was mocked by others due to her mentally retarded disease that formulated from a childhood disease. 

     However, I was never brought down by such sorrow, death has motivated me to work for cures to spare others from losing their loved ones. I spend days in laboratories and libraries, researching, studying, and trying to find new information. I have been told that such contact with chemicals and exposure to patients could deter my immune system, however, I disregarded this. When I felt my own body wanting to give up, I still continued to work. I was struck by a brian hemorrhage and many strokes that made me partially paralyzed. Other doctors have encouraged me to rest as I often overworked, but still, I ignored this. Despite the awards and praise, I tried to remain humble, all I wanted was a simply life. Being a Christian, I saw no interference with science. I believed "science brought men nearer to God". With that being said, I can say that I have found joy in life from seeing other's happiness. Being old and paralyzed, I can only say I am ready to join my father and children. To my father, who I owe all my thanks:

"I have been thinking all day of the marks of affection I have had from my father. For thirty years I had been in his constant care, I owe everything to him. When I was young he kept me from bad company and instilled into me the habit of working and the most loyal and best filled life. The touching part of his affection for me is that it was never mixed with ambition...and yet, I am sure that some of the success in my scientific career must have filled him with joy and pride." 

Info: http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v14/i1/pasteur.asp

(quote): http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/ci/1992/Pasteur.html