“All we are is a result of what we have thought”, and all that we have thought is a result of our perceptions of reality. All my life, as I worked toward understanding exactly who I was, I developed the enduring desire to become a physician. Today I sit here; an expression of the moments in time that have come together to make me what I am, and I try to weave my dreams into the person I am to become. At 4 years old, I was a bookworm. I had a doctorate in the philosophy of Dr. Seuss. From ‘Red Fish, Blue Fish’ to ‘Mulberry Street’, I could read the books forwards and back. My family had to endure my relentless story telling. I remember reading with my aunt and noticing that she was hanging onto my every word, but not looking at the page to …show more content…
I was chosen to have the privilege of being a counselor for Camp Kesem Miami and was given the camp name of ‘Yoncé’, as in the Queen of all divas; Beyoncé. Camp Kesem is a weeklong summer camp for children whose parents have suffered from cancer. In the summer of 2015, I packed my things and ventured into the wilderness to have what would turn out to be the best week of my life. I met some of the brightest and most resilient kids in the world, but I also saw the darkest realities that haunted them. I worked with campers, barely old enough to attend school, who understood more about cancer and its effects than the average adult. I comforted kids who did not realize the gravity of their situation; that in the future, all they may have of their loved one is their memories. I stood in awe of these kids as they told me the stories of how they were robbed of their childhood. Some spent more time living as adults; acting as caregivers, providing emotional encouragement, and supporting the fragile household from which they came, rather than playing on playgrounds and enjoying youth. I realized the impact that illness can have on more than just the patient. I realized that, as a physician, it is necessary to care for and try to heal the patients’ families,