Magnificent Obsession (novel)

Magnificent Obsession (1929) is a novel by Lloyd C. Douglas. The story follows a man named Robert Merrick. He is resuscitated by a rescue crew after a boating accident. The crew is unable to save the life of Dr. Hudson, a heart attack victim on the other side of the lake. Merrick then decides to devote his life to making up for the doctor's. He becomes a physician himself. Dr. Hudson's widow suffers serious injury in an accident. Merrick is instrumental in her recovery. 
Two movies were based on the book: "Magnificent Obsession" (1935), and "Magnificent Obsession" (1954). The 1954 movie was directed by Douglas Sirk. A television series called "Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal" was based on the novel. It aired 78 episodes in syndication from 1955 to 1957.