Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
clear sky
weather
OMAN
25°C / 25°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Health is definitely the wealth of a nation

lakshmi
lakshmi
minus
plus

Birth of a child is joy. The sound of a child crying as he learns to breathe on his own is pleasing to the ears of parents and doctors.


Indeed, the first cry is nature’s lesson to the child to breathe on his own.


The parents I came across at an event held to mark the milestone of performing 1,500 bone marrow transplants had a different expression all-together.


There was relief in their eyes. They were parents of children who had gone through successful bone marrow transplants.


It must have been devastating for them to realise their child is unable to produce blood normally. Having found a candidate within the family with matching blood group for treating the child must have come as a huge relief for them.


At the event that day, their eyes twinkled as their child walked on stage with a “spring in his step” along with the donor, in most cases a sibling or in other instances, one of the parents.


They were on stage, dancing to music and celebrating life. Life that many people often take for granted. But for the survivors who were celebrating, it was their second chance.


Some of the little ones probably may not even know what they went through so early in their lives, just like the boy who was asking his mother for another balloon at the celebration.


Yet, there was a nine-year-old bright boy who came and thanked his doctors while paying a special tribute to his unknown donor from Germany. The youngster explained the importance of donors for a bone marrow transplant.


His parents looked on with pride. They were in a different frame of mind because “there was a future” they could plan together for their young son.


Each time a survivor came on stage with his/her story along with the donors, tears flowed down the faces of several members of the audience.


There are moments when it seems the world is complete but it has puzzles for us to solve. Here we are experiencing problems and at times questioning our existence only to find there are others working on outcomes that are positive.


That brings us to the question — Living aside what fate throws at life, how will we be able to define ourselves? Are we problem-solvers or are we part of the problem?


It seems when it comes to health, there is a question we should ask ourselves. “How healthy are we?”


For many of us, that very thought can cause anxiety. This is what health experts have to say, “The earlier the diagnosis, quicker the recovery.” It is the quality of life that is the main focus of any treatment.


In other words, health checkups ought to be part of our lifestyle, according to the medical experts. That includes even nutrition and diet because a lack of balanced diet can have an impact on the mind as well.


It seems this is another part of our complex world consisting all answers, but it is for us to find out what the questions are, in the first place.


The entire process of finding the right questions and answers requires us to have our quiet moments to reflect. But one thing is for sure: the world needs more technology and research to solve health issues via research on stem cells to genetics to mysteries of the mind.


That also definitely means more donors for bone marrow. There is so much more each one of can do.


Here’s to health.


Lakshmi Kothaneth


lakshmiobserver@gmail.com


SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon