Vital Signs

“Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives.” – A. Sachs

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” – Jesus Christ, Luke 9:25

This post could be a complex exposition on the circle of life, or a discussion on what I believe is the significance of death, but instead I want to share with you some experiences that touch on these two interweaving themes.  First, why don’t we start with the latter?

So, I went to a Peruvian hospital.  No, I didn’t go to a Peruvian hospital, or, that is, I didn’t need medical attention that warranted it, but I went with the possibility of donating blood.  You see, a family member of one of the workers at the orphanage had a medical complication and received a blood transfusion, and that blood needed to be given back to the blood bank, paying back the loan, so to speak.  It turned out I couldn’t give blood because I had been vaccinated for Hepatitis A & B less than six months earlier, and I am supposed to be tested to see if those immunizations worked.  Anyway, this experience was a reality check for me.  We really have it so good in the States, on many levels, and the medical attention is no exception (if you have insurance or the money).  First off, the hospitals are simply mobbed with people.  You go there and it is reminiscent of the New York Stock Exchange.  Lines populate the edifice, and people form lines to wait for a ticket, to return later on to wait in a line to then receive medical attention.  For me even to be seen if I could give blood, the brother of that worker had gone early in the morning to get a ticket and was waiting later on for us.  While you wait, various people come inside attempting to sell chocolate or other novelties, vending as if we were at some tourist attraction.  To top it off, outside I saw an interesting sight: a nurse walking on the sidewalk holding the IV bag of a patient in her hand while they both made their way to the hospital.  The hospitals are characterized by an abundance of necessity, a lack of assistance, and an evident lack of order.

I am not about to say I am a full supporter of the health system in the U.S.A. (I actually have quite a bit of qualms with it, including the idea that many people don’t have the financial capability to be seen), but we should sure be grateful for the caliber of the practitioner, the education of our future doctors, and, when we do receive attention, the facility and quality of our visit for treatment.  That gratitude should be accompanied by a responsibility in regards to your own doctor visitations as well as wisdom in the treatment of your own body.

Though death takes a very real physical form in hospitals, there are other manifestations of dying.  In the orphanage where I am a volunteer, there are other types of battling between life and death.  Recently I came face to face with one of them, and it was a new experience for me.  On a seemingly normal night here, one of the children erupted in anger.  I will not disclose much information here, but this child has been experiencing a great deal of difficulty lately,  and a simple punishment for not obeying led to a passing of a boiling point.  Some other kids ran to get my help, and I eventually helped to restrain the child for a good fifteen minutes trying to reach a state of calmness.  It was very intense, and I tried to speak loving and comforting things while this child was in the midst of an emotional and spiritual war.  Some of these kids have been abandoned and scarred in profound ways.  Some, in their previous upbringing, have had death spoken over their lives.  We are soldiers fighting for good here, and in many ways you can be too.   Prayer, supporting orphanages, even just being a voice for those around you, diffusing the knowledge of what’s going on here and in other parts of the world.  Anyway you can make an impact is worthwhile.

And lastly, I’d like to leave you with  a little bit of life.  When life is tough, it would do us some good to look at the world through the eyes of a baby, full of wonder, hope and innocence.  There is still a lot to rejoice in and smile at , and a baby knows that lesson better than many of us.  There are not much more joyful reminders of the good in this world than new-born babies, and I had the privilege to be at the presentation of the baby of one of the workers here at the orphanage.  The precious little niña is named Judit Raquel, and I hope these pictures uplift your spirits!  Hasta la proxima!

By the way, on the topic of life, I just finished watching Slumdog Millionaire again…what a great movie.  If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and check it out.

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