Life and Family
Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, nicknamed "Dr. Batman", or "Dr. B", was born into a wealthy Persian family in 1931. His family's support of the Shah would bring them into conflict with later regimes.
He attended the fee-paying Fettes College in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1946.
After studying in London, Batmanghelidj's medical practice in England ended when he relocated to Iran to help in the development of hospitals and medical centers.
In 1979, he was sent to the Evin Prison when the Iranian Revolution broke out. Charges were leveled against him, and he was scheduled to be executed. His execution was delayed so that he could serve as a resident doctor among the prisoners.
In 1982, he was released from prison, and later escaped from Iran and went to the United States to further his medical research.
He died from complications related to pneumonia on November 15, 2004, in Virginia, U.S.A.
He had four children with his Belgian wife, Lucille: Ardeshir, Lila, Babak and Camila Batmanghelidjh. His daughter Camila is very famous in the UK and appears regularly on the BBC decked out in eccentric and flamboyant outfits. Despite being severely dyslexic and not able to read or write (she works by dictation) with so called "learning difficulties", she runs "Kids Company" and is a social entrepreneur. Camila's older sister committed suicide due to the stress of being separated from her father during his imprisonment.
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