igg ins ▁and ▁Kath ar ine ▁Big el ow . ▁His ▁pat ernal ▁grand father ▁John ▁Wood man ▁H igg ins ▁founded ▁the ▁H igg ins ▁Arm ory ▁Museum ▁in ▁Wor c ester , ▁Mass . ▁His ▁older ▁brother ▁was ▁Dick ▁H igg ins ▁and ▁his ▁younger ▁sister ▁is ▁Lisa ▁H igg ins ▁Null . ▁Mark ▁H igg ins ▁was ▁sch oo led ▁in ▁Wor c ester ▁and ▁at ▁Mil ton ▁Academy . ▁Following ▁gradu ation ▁from ▁prep ▁school , ▁he ▁spent ▁one ▁year ▁in ▁psych iat ric ▁re h abil itation ▁before ▁lever aging ▁his ▁family ' s ▁connections ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁Albert ▁Schwe itzer ▁Hospital ▁in ▁Lamb ar ene , ▁Gab on , ▁Africa . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁Schwe itzer ▁Hospital , ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁general ▁hand yman ▁duties ▁and ▁progress ed ▁to ▁becoming ▁a ▁medical ▁techn ician ▁who ▁assist ed ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁American ▁card i olog ists ▁in ▁ident ifying ▁the ▁causes ▁of ▁heart ▁disease ▁among ▁certain ▁tribes ▁of ▁Gab on . ▁ ▁H igg ins ▁vent ured ▁from ▁the ▁Schwe itzer ▁Hospital ▁following ▁one ▁year ▁of ▁assigned ▁work , ▁and ▁began ▁a ▁land - based ▁journey ▁that ▁was ▁to ▁take ▁him ▁to ▁Israel . ▁First , ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁cross ▁through ▁the ▁Belg ian ▁Congo , ▁which ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁had ▁just ▁acquired ▁independence ▁from ▁Belg ium . ▁ ▁He ▁succeeded ▁in ▁crossing ▁the ▁newly ▁independent ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Congo ▁by ▁steam bo at , ▁railway ▁and ▁on ▁a ▁comm