Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Part of My New Calling & Passion

I sit here with a metaphorical hole in my heart and a wondering of when it will be healed. The literal hole that was once a fistula caused by trauma during childbirth looks to have finally been healed, though I won't be out of the woods for some months. But the lingering effects of living with a fistula and dealing with the aftermath of a lack of appropriate, knowledgeable, and timely medical care here in BC have put a great toll on my heart and mind.

I never wanted to be an advocate for other women, but my situation has opened my eyes to the calling and the great responsibility I have to educate women and medical practitioners of so many issues involving childbirth and maternity care. There is so much I would say today, but simply do not have the words that can pierce through my emotions at this moment.

So until I have those words, I want to leave you with two things. First, this idea...."evil triumphs when good people do nothing." Don't be someone who allows evil to triumph. Too many people are willing to agree but then sit and do nothing. Please be somebody who agrees and does something. Even a little something.

And that leads me to my second thing I leave you with, a tiny way to do something. Watch the video, research, look up the terms "obstetric fistula", learn what obstructed labor is and imagine what it would be like to experience that with no medical care (or in my case, with inadequate and inappropriate medical care), and sign the petition or write letters. (For some reason, this isn't wanting to post with the entire picture visible. But if you click on the title in the video box, it will take you directly to YouTube to watch.)

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