"I am Thankful for the Gift of Life"

Every Thursday the rehab department has "Thankful Thursday". This includes all PT's and the daycrew (people who live in country but help with translation, cleaning, and a million other tasks). We go around the circle and say what we are thankful for. 

The normal things come up: happy to be at Mercy Ships, thankful for our families, friends, children, food to eat etc. More specifics things to here like being thankful for a patient healing and going home. 

But every week, every day crew, without fail, start their Thankful Thursday with "I am thankful for the gift of life". At first I thought this was extreme... of course it's great I'm alive but was I really thankful for it everyday? 

The longer I have been here the more this has made sense. Life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 62 years old. That's it. One of my day crew is 55 and talks about how he won't be here much longer. WILD. Also, without access to healthcare, most vaccines, or preventable treatment people die from things here they wouldn't back home. People here can't afford a varied diet and your body can't live forever on just rice and bread. There is also a complete lack of safety without seatbelts (definitely no carseats!), helmets, safety goggles/harnesses/scaffolding while doing construction, etc etc etc. But today I heard a new story that made me say "I am thankful for the gift of life"

One of my ortho patients was on her way home. She had recently had her casts taken off but is still walking with a limp. We will continue to see her a few more times until she is a bit stronger but she is doing well. She came to the ship with her mother and baby sister Lucy who is around 6 months old. To get back home she was traveling by Poda Poda. This is a public transportation bus with maybe 6 rows of 5 people all smooshed together on a bench. On their way home yesterday afternoon their vehicle was rear ended by a cement truck. The people in the back 2 rows died instantly. Thankfully my patient, her mother and sister were toward the front. The vehicle rolled down an embankment and all three were pulled out through a window with cuts all over them from broken glass. She will be fine. Like I said "I am thankful for the gift of life". 

Example of a Poda Poda

So this Thursday I challenge you to be thankful for the gift of life. Thankful to wake up this morning. Thankful for breath in your lungs and another day to love the people around you well.