Draft:Pr. Ernest Helou

Pr. Ernest Helou (24 December 1920, Bogota - 18 August 2018, Beirut) was a Lebanese Colombian doctor and professor of medicine and general surgery, working mainly in Lebanon, he contributed to the modernization of surgery and traumatology in Lebanon. He founded and lead the surgery department of the St Joseph Hospital with its academic program in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine of The St Joseph University.

Early Life and Education
Ernest Helou was born in Bogota, son of Sleiman Helou, a Lebanese business man from Baabda, Lebanon, famous for bringing the electricity in his home town, and Yasmine Jamhuri, also Lebanese. He grew up in Baabda, and studied at Collège de la Sagesse in Lebanon before joining the faculty of medicine, where he eventually met his wife Marie (Mimi) Gemayel, cousin of the Lebanese presidents Bachir and Amine Gemayel.

Career
Chief of Surgery at the Hotel Dieu de France, he was later approached to join the Hospital of Saint Jospeh des Sœurs de la Croix, where he helped creating and leading the surgery and emergency department along with a university programme in link with the Faculty of Medicine of the Université Saint Joseph of Beirut. During the lebanese civil war, and after treating a considerable number of patients philanthropically, he received awards and honors for his charity work in the medical and healthcare field, like the Order of the Cedar, or the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, by the Holy See.

One of his most well-known discovery was a surgical treatment to the gastrointestinal anthrax-disease.

Private Life
He had 10 brothers and sisters, who all lived between Colombia and Lebanon. With his wife Mimi Gemayel he had three children, Dr. Sami Helou who became also a surgeon, Joumana and Michel. His wife, Mimi Gemayel was the aunt of Soumaya Domit Gemayel, late wife of Mexican magnate Carlos Slim Helú.

Honors
Knight of the Order of the Cedar

The Holy Cross of Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice

Medal of the Grand Prix Humanitaire de France