Prescription: Ice Cream by Alastair McAlpine
With a little help from metal music and ice cream, Alastair McAlpine was able to struggle on, find meaning in the chaos and inspire others.
From tackling the packed wards of Baragwanath Hospital as an intern, to navigating the gravity of rehabilitation as a patient, Alastair McAlpine chronicles the highs and lows of what it means to be a medical doctor in South Africa. Born from the responses to a viral tweet that Alastair shared in 2018, Prescription: Ice Cream pays homage to the simple joys found amidst the turbulence of terminal illness and the chaos of the human condition.
An engaging and endearing memoir with a universal theme of purpose that provides solace for many who journey on similar paths.
Prescription: Ice Cream by Alastair McAlpine
by Alastair McAlpine
In 2018, Alastair McAlpine, a palliative paediatrician in Cape Town, decided to share some inspiring thoughts from the children in his care. He posted: ‘I asked some of my terminal paediatric palliative care patients what they had enjoyed in life, and what gave it meaning. Kids can be so wise, y’know. Here are some of the responses.’
Their simple yet profound answers went viral, found their way into homes across the world and touched the hearts of millions. Yet it was never McAlpine’s plan to find himself in this position. Challenged from all sides by crippling addiction, a brutal internship and a deadly HIV pandemic, McAlpine’s journey was very nearly derailed.
Prescription: Ice Cream is his engaging memoir about the highs and lows of working as a medical doctor in South Africa and how, with a little help from metal music and ice cream, he was able to struggle on, find meaning in the chaos and inspire others.
ALASTAIR MCALPINE is a paediatric infectious diseases physician who was born and raised in Johannesburg. His passions include preventing infections in kids, listening to noisy bands and encouraging his colleagues to prescribe ice cream more frequently.
Alastair McAlpine will be in South Africa in May to launch his book, and to attend the Franschhoek Literary Festival and Kingsmead Book Fair, among other events.
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