EDUCATORS WITHOUT BORDERS
EDUCATORS WITHOUT BORDERS
How To Conquer Any Health Crisis?
By Prof. Talaat I. Farag
No one is immune from having a health crisis at some point in her/his life journey. Babies may be born with major congenital anomalies, children in the pre-school age may suffer from autism, accidents may occur at any age, and with increasing life expectancies many diseases like cancer and Alzheimer are much more common today. In this section we present four stories of heroism over debilitating physical ailments.
Lance Armstrong outlasts cancer
The
33-years-old Texan cyclist, Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular
cancer in 1996 when he was 24. It spread quickly to his body and metastases
appeared both in his lungs and brain. A dozen of tumors, the size of golf balls,
were removed. He was given a 50% chance of survival. He underwent four rounds of
draining and intensive chemotherapy, and in six months, he was back on his bike,
pushing his body to the limits. In 1998, he won a 56-km race in Texas and in
1999 he won the gem of bicycle road racing, the Tour de France, for the first
time. In celebration of his victory - over cancer, not the Tour - he established
an international foundation to benefit cancer research, promote awareness and
early detection. He maintains an internet site that provides education and
inspiration to those diagnosed with cancer. The great iconic hero believes that
cancer is no longer a death sentence. He eclipsed the career record for Tour de
France titles, when he won it for the sixth time in 2004. Lance Armstrong, who has almost single-handedly revitalized the greatest race in cycling, won the
United States Sports Academy 2004 Male Athlete of the Year award for his
achievements for a second time. Four riders had won the Tour five times: Jacques
Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. Lance Armstrong
will attempt to finish his professional bike racing career in July by trying to
win his 7th consecutive Tour de France. If he captures the title, he would be
the oldest winner in the modern era.
Terry Fox's Legacy
It was on April 12, 1980 that Terry Fox, began his grueling
cross-country trek in St. John's, Newfoundland to raise funds for the Canadian
Cancer Society. He had lost his right lower limb because of cancer began
the Marathon of Hope 25 years ago to raise money to battle this disease.
Twenty-five years after Terry Fox began his historic run for a cancer cure, research
advances have improved survivor rates for many common cancers. Scientists estimate that 1.2 million cases of cancer and over
400,000 deaths could be prevented over the next 30 years in Canada. Today, oncologists have found that about 50% of cancers are
preventable. The strategy would stress behaviors known to reduce the risk of
developing cancer, such as healthy diet, maintaining a healthy body weight, and
remaining physically active.
Mass education advising people to add vegetables and fruits to their diets, more than a bag of chips or a bottle of pop, and to restore physical education to the core school curriculum. Early diagnosis of breast cancer will offer better prognosis.
Kevin defrosts blindness and deafness
In
March 2002, Kevin Frost, 37, a long-time hockey referee was diagnosed with
Usher's Syndrome, which affects hearing and sight. Already hard of hearing since
childhood, he was left with just 8% of his vision. He could not continue in the
grocery store where he had worked for 16 years. Today Kevin Frost, father of
three young children, and legally blind and deaf, spends his days trying to
complete the conversion from the hockey rink to the smooth efficient laps of a
speed skater. Competing in the master's division this season, he captured two
silver medals and a fifth place finish in meets across Ontario. He said,
"what can I see when I am on the ice? Whatever's in front of my tunnel
vision. If they are beside or behind me I don't hear or see them until they pass
me." He carries a pair of opaque glasses with a pinhole in each eye and a
pair of ear muffs. Kevin Frost's conversion after a major health problem that
left him legally blind and deaf is an inspiration for everyone with a health
crisis.
Petitclerc wheels over disability to win Olympic medals
Recently at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Chantal Petitclerc of Montreal dominated women's wheelchair racing winning five gold medals. Due to her resilience and achievements, she was honored with the prestigious 2005 Laureus world sports award for the top sportsperson with a disability during the ceremony held in Estoril, Portugal.
The four real-life stories above illustrate the remarkable achievements of different people suffering with varying health problems and serve as examples of how crises can be overcome.
In order to conquer health crises, we must focus on preventive measures; early diagnosis and appropriate management. Mass education programs are highly essential in order to offer people with accurate data which will help them avoiding health problems and offer "crisis counseling" in others.
Prof. Talaat I. Farag, MD,FRCP,FACP,FACMG is a former adjunct professor at Dalhousie University in Canada. He is the founder of The Ambassadors Research Foundation in 1998. Email: tfarag@dal.ca.
