Courage
I promise, this post ends on a positive note of hope
Dr. James Orbinski
the following is an exerpt from his book “An Imperfect Offering“
“Ummera, ummera–sha” is a Rwandan saying that loosely translated means
‘Courage, courage, my friend–find your courage and let it live.’
It was said to me by a patient at our hospital in Kigali. She was slightly older than middle aged and had been attacked with machetes, her entire body rationally and systematically mutilated. Her face had been so carefully disfigured that a pattern was obvious in the slashes. I could do little more for her at that moment than stop the bleeding with a few sutures.
We were completely overwhelmed.
She knew and I knew that there were so many others.
She said to me in the clearest voice I have ever heard,
“Allez, allez. Ummera, ummera-sha”–‘
Go, go. Courage, courage, my friend–find your courage and let it live.’
and from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the following thought reminds me of the feelings I had when I visited China – particularly a remote village in Xi’an. The children there were so beautiful, and more importantly, seemingly happy. Although they were not suffering from war & genocide, their circumstances certainly merited reflection about the impoverished circumstances a large majority of children in this world experience.
Triage: Dr. James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma
Insider: What keeps you going back to the places where you witnessed so much suffering?
Orbinski: That there’s so much life and that – despite all of the apparent and obvious public failures – there are enormous successes and life goes on and in a good way. And I have many friends there – they’re defined not simply by their suffering but also by their humanity, which is what I find so attractive and it’s why I want to be with them, because I like them. Friendship, in a certain way, is about honoring that and pursuing it and creating beauty and a world of possibility and that’s the stuff of life, of good life.
Former international president of Doctors Without Borders
Nobel Peace Prize in 1999
photos taken from white pine pictures and o’reilly digital
I Have A Dream
Where There is No Vision, The People Perish
-Proverbs 29:18
Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 1957
“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Most Diverse City in the U.S.
It was important to me to train in a place with people from all walks of life – from race & religion to socioeconomics & social class. Cultural competency was something I truly wanted to embrace. Since being here, I’ve realized the enormous challenges some of my patients face. The NYC Department of Health produced a profile on the community members of East Harlem, the neighbors to the Upper East Side – our neighbors. The results? Read on…
East Harlem residents experience more barriers to health care access than those in NYC overall.
This community has the second highest HIV-related death rate in the city.
The percent of residents living below the poverty level is twice as high compared to its’ neighbors.
The birth rate to teenage mothers is higher when compared to NYC overall.
(Community Health Profile, Second Edition: East Harlem, 2006)
Like Attorneys and I-Bankers, Physicians are also a dime-a-dozen in NYC, and it can be difficult to carve a unique path here. Thankfully, I’ve been able to work with self-less individuals who still want to make a difference in the lives of people. Given the reported health profile, it is obvious children in East Harlem are living at a “disadvantage.” One of my mentors started a health program in East Harlem public schools for Junior High. Through SHAPE (School Health Advancement Program of East Harlem) I’ve met some pretty bright and talented students. Coming from a place where I was one of few “minority” students in my childhood classes, it’s a little unreal to look into faces of 40 students and see only “minority” students. I love it!
So why am I reflecting on all of this? Because I recently came across this statement by the NY Health Commissioner Richard Daines whom some of you are familiar with. It caused me to pause and think about the positive impact SHAPE can have on the community of East Harlem. Since 2006, through SHAPE, I’ve had to field questions from students about issues related to sex ed. These students NEED comprehensive sexuality education, and I assure you – they are not receiving it from home. You would not believe some of the things these kids tell me they’ve been exposed to or even misunderstand. Volunteering with SHAPE has been unique and challenging, but definitely rewarding. Having the chance to be a “physician-educator” to influence the minds of these promising kids for the better (which I believe I am doing) has been one of the best parts of training in this amazing city. For any of you interested in getting involved in your communities, take a look at some of the links to great organizations listed under “Vision.”