Making a loss into an opportunity

Jack Andrada, at 15 years of age, discovered a dipstick method to detect pancreatic cancer. He felt challenged to find a simple and reliable early detection test following the death of his uncle from pancreatic cancer. The encouragement came from one professor form among 200 whom he contacted for help to design the test.

I have been gathering stories and biographies of people, who following a painful experience got engaged in pursuing a mission, in response to a  call they felt, arising out of their experience of enduring the difficulty or distress. 

One common thread in most of these stories I have gathered, is a personal mission that many felt through an inner awakening to a new reality that moved them.

One family recently decided to be befriend adolescent boys and girls in the neighbourhood through the experience of their son struggling to cope academically during his college days. When he received help through counselling and mentoring, he recovered gradually and became well placed in a comfortable job. He now has a family and has stable relationships. 

In gratitude for what they received from well wishers, this elderly couple is now engaged in befriending adolescent children. They invite them home and accompany them. This has developed into  a valuable support for five adolescents, who have found them, as their confidants and source of encouragement.

One adolescent boy, narrated his personal story to me recently and referred to the critical support this couple offered him, when he was at cross roads and breaking points. He is now moving on pursuing his learning career with hope and fortitude.

All of us have come across distressing or disturbing times in our lives. They are  pathfinders for us by drawing lessons from  them to share the gains for the advantages of others.

We can become  providers of goodwill and gains for others, when we attend to the call that springs from a difficult experience.


M.C.Mathew(text and photo)