[DAILY LIFE] 'Fighting' The Angel of Death

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SOURCE : Instagram account @jd.moha

Tidak ada yang jauh lebih pengertian, tidak ada yang jauh lebih baik, selain Pencipta kita sendiri.

Allah.

Aku udah lama follow akun seseorang yang foto-fotonya ada dibawah ini. Tapi baru hari ini aku sengaja baca semua captionnya. Dan... i've never found someone yang... such an inspiring human being! Namanya Mohammad JD. Dia adalah seorang humanitarian, volunteer, relawan, part of SAMS (Syrian American Medical Society), dan lain-lainnya. Dia juga adalah anak dari seorang refugees. Kalo ga salah dia ini campuran Palestine-American. Awalnya aku kira dia dokter, ternyata dia nurse. Kehidupannya sehari-hari? Helping those refugees. Kadang langsung terjun ke perbatasan dekat syria, kadang di bagian negara yang lain, kadang di rumah sakit refugees di California. Intinya ya itu, menolong para refugees. 'Fighting' The Angel of Death. Agar mereka tetap hidup dan bisa merasakan kehidupan. 

Lewat tulisan ini, aku akan merangkum some of his great photos & captions yang sangat sangat membantu untuk mengingatkan kita bahwa kita tidak punya hak untuk mengeluh. Tidak punya hak untuk ga bersyukur. Instead we shall treasure every second, every moment, every process, and be grateful..

I strongly suggest you to read this till the end.

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REFUGEE'S LIFE

They call me "The Pulse" of refugee camps. They don't know that they are the heart and blood supply to each beat...

Having come back from taking a dying refugee boy to a hospital in Switzerland as well as speaking at the European parliament in Belgium regarding the #refugeecrisis, I find myself at this moment feeling a bit lost. Happy that we got one boy and his family out, but sad that there are thousands of others just like him stuck in the middle of nowhere all around the world. Politicians debate over innocent people without a damn clue to the daily struggles these people face. No education, proper nutrition, or shelter for children, pregnant women, and elderly. The many cold winter nights spent in a tent without any access to heat. Many mornings without breakfast and many evenings without dinner.. Many sick days without medication and many lonely days without company.... It's just no way to live. The children are starving and you would NEVER accept this for your child, but turn a blind eye when it happens to others? 

I promise that I will never forget those who think they have been forgotten. I promise that the whole world is going to know what these eyes have seen.....

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Mr. Trump,

Let me tell you a little about me and what I've been up to lately here in America. I'm a product of a #refugee father, and an #immigrant mother. What has been going on in America has hurt me deeply. This country was built on immigrants and children of immigrants. If it were not for its doors being open to my parents, I would not be here. I recognize this fully and I give back to the people of this country with passion, compassion, and hard work. I've gone many nights without sleep in this rescue truck helping save American lives. I've put my life on the line numerous times for others. I have injured myself on the job and it was all for others. Many instances, I've put in 24...48... and even 72 hours non stop for the people of this country, fielding calls at 2am and picking up trauma calls all over Chicago and the rest of illinois. The #muslimban is unconstitutional on so many levels. These people are fleeing war and murder. These people are here for a second chance. A second chance you are shutting the door on. There are many out there waiting to create a new life here just like my parents had done with me, giving me a chance to succeed and make an impact in America. These refugees want to do the same thing I'm doing and more. So welcome them in for open hearts. I promise you, their impact will echo loud and in a very positive way. I promise that they and WE WILL shine... shine.... shine!! Into the light!!!

To all the strong, powerful and beautiful women out there, keep pushing! Keep motivating men to be better and to do better. This is strength. This is resilience. 

This is a portrait of Sky Bird Black Owl. The first woman to give birth at the Standing Rock resistance camp in Cannon Ball, ND. She named her baby "Mni Wiconi" which means "water is life".

"My friend! My friend!!" Smiling and laughing trying to grab my attention as I walk to the clinic thinking I was a foreigner who did not speak their language (Arabic). This picture strikes me every time I look at it because these six kids could of been in the back of that ambulance just like that little boy last week who's photo shook the world. Kids.. They have a way with making even the most terrible situations easy... I see hope in this picture. I see resilience in this picture. I see courage and no fear in this picture. Children have a beautiful way of showing us what humanity is all about. Once again, this is my reminder to everyone who thinks they have it bad, to take a look at the other side of the waters.... Hug your children and loved ones, because the only difference between them and us is plain simple: They were born with a Syrian passport, an Iraqi passport, etc.. and we were not... I consider myself lucky and you as the reader should too. Having a bad day or know someone who is? I hope this cheers you and them up, because looking at it cheers me up and puts a smile on my face. I'm #palestinian

But these people are blood and family to me. Feel free to share this message and share their struggle. 

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Children are the biggest victims of war in my opinion.. Over 3.7 million children were born into the conflict that is happening in Syria till this day. Thousands have died in between. You try to do the best you can to make them forget about the horror they have seen. Here I find myself showing them how big our ambulances are back in the states. Many of these children were not vaccinated, severely malnourished, and had no formal education over the past couple of years. It's truly a sad situation that you would never want for your kids. I've looked father's in the eyes and wiped tears off of their faces because they felt like failures when they looked at what has happend with their families and with their kids. It was truly heart breaking... People need to know what's going on with the rest of the world. Over 7 million refugees are stuck in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and scattered all accross Europe. Raising awareness and being aware of the situation is truly the first step. Action is the second! Spread the word.

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I told myself that I was NOT going to post pictures like this (I did not know this was taken of me when all of the kids approached me till it was showed to me later) BUT I hope this sheds some light on the Syrian refugee crisis situation. Today was day 1 for me in the Refugee camp at Idomeni aka "Europe's catastrophe" ... With the men, you feel a sense of sadness, and a sense of lost hope... Lost hope that they won't be able to provide for their families as they once use to.. Lost hope that their kids won't get the education they deserve.. To the extremes, lost hope of a future... With the women and mothers.. I felt a sense of strength.. THEY knew they needed to be strong to hold everybody in the family together.. They stand tall despite the struggles. With the kids... The kids had the most beautiful smiles that I have ever seen. They radiated energy and hope throughout the camp... The smiles that were badly needed because the situation is so severe.. More than I had imagined... It seems to be tense and changing day by day with the Macedonia borders closing, which ultimately forced many refugees to be stuck in Greece. Throughout all of this, there was an intense raw feeling of watching humans fight to survive.. Humans beings that just wanted to live another day.... The situation is sad, and everyone is trying to remain hopeful. Only time will tell...

Mom: "Can you please listen to my son and tell me if his heart and lungs are ok? Im concerned. Ever since the war, he has not been seen by a doctor. He has not been vaccinated and when he gets sick, we don't have any medications to help him get better so we wait and pray he does." As she sits in a hot tent with her family of 7 with very limited food supply and inconsistencies in baby supplies for her to tend to her children.... He was my first patient in the refugee camp. I wanted to cry but I had to be strong in front of them. I was stunned by the stories these parents told me. I am not posting this because I want to be this "cool humanitarian" or someone who cares about followers.. NO and NEVER! I am posting this because we have a severe lack of knowledge regarding the refugee situation, even among very educated people in our society. I'm posting this because I made these people a promise that I would be a voice to the voiceless. I want to keep reminding people about the terrible situation these refugees face in the refugee camps..... I want to keep reminding people to spread the message I am trying to spread! It only takes one person to make a difference in someone's life, but its going to take a movement of people to make a difference for these people (refugees) because this issue is so grand! Aleppo is burning and millions have been killed in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, and other regions.. Awareness must come first, and action soon to follow. As far as this child. He was healthy, playful and beautiful inside and out. Keep raising awareness. Tag people. Social media is powerful when we put it to good use. A picture says a thousand words.. I hope this one echoes more...

We have a new pediatrician on our medical team! How can you not melt?

Jokes aside... Look at this little girl. No... seriously take a quick look. This could be your daughter, or loved one. Can you imagine that she has been sleeping in a tent on the ground in the middle of a parking lot for the past 3 months? Can you imagine terrible weather (60km/hr winds and heavy rain and cold) that keeps her awake due to fear... Can you imagine that she has to wait in line for hours standing next to her mother for the same food (rice milk, piece of bread, Apple and a water bottle) everyday. Can you imagine her not being vaccinated and receiving proper education as she grows up? This is the situation for these refugee children in Greece and all around... We in America are terrified of taking them in because we fear for our own safety.. The world is watching these people suffer and die slow when something could be done about it! This baby girl lit up the whole clinic today, and it breaks my heart to see her in these conditions. 

Disclaimer: I asked permission from the mother to share this. You can as well. 

"Mohammad! Can I please take a picture with you? Hold on a second, let me get in a cool pose." This boy drove me nuts in the refugee camp, yet, he had a beautiful heart about him. His father fled war early to Germany in hopes to get them out (paying a smuggler) but they got stuck in refugee camps in Turkey and Greece. This child use to beg people for money in Turkey because he wanted to save enough money to get his family out of the hell they were in.. It's heart breaking... Why did he flee? Just last week alone, over 100 children have been killed in Syria and thousands over the past 5 years. There are so so many stories like his out there. 

We cried... We laughed.... and we danced! aka #dabka !

Their homes, destroyed. Their family members, killed. Their futures, put on pause. Their country, gone due to war. Yet..... They still danced! They tried to make the best of what they have in each other ❤. These are the beautiful refugees I spent months living with.

So... when you're having a bad day, always remember, that we are the ones in control of our mood. We can be prisoners in our own mind, or choose to be free because true freedom is not freedom in physicality, but freedom within. 

I got very sick in the refugee camp... The harsh conditions got me. What happens next will warm your ❤. 

Four AMAZING refugees stayed up all night near my tent taking care of me.

 They also set up a fire place next to my tent to keep me warm. You know...they took me in as one of their own... They set up a tent for me to sleep in. They would feed me from the very little they had, and often times, offering me their full meals! I forgot my jacket in Chicago, so one refugee took his green jacket off in the middle of the rain storm and gave it to me (despite me insisting on not taking it) he would not take "no" for an answer. Here I am thinking I was going to be there helping them, when in fact, I was the one being helped. They helped me realize that you can be happy with nothing as long as you have your health. They helped me realize to make the best out of every situation despite the hardships. They helped me realize that life was truly too short, and that we need to truly live in the moment and enjoy the most important things in life, like our friends, family and loved ones. Many of these refugees lost theirs, so I'm truly greatful for what I have. These people have absolutely nothing, yet they give you everything. 

Dear Donald Trump, 

Want to make America great again? How about an exchange program? Hear me out....

These people would take clothes off their backs to keep you warm. As they did for me here with the green rain coat on a cold rainy night. They would cut half of the piece of bread they receive to feed you. They would give you their only blanket to warm you. Bring them in and replace them with the embarrassment that the world witnessed yesterday on black Friday here in America. Some people fight for materialistic things in America, but these people (refugees) would give you the everything they have.

These are the kind of people we need! Want to make America great again? Here you go 

Besides the superficial, do you see a difference between us? Now, let me tell you…. There is just ONE! One difference that separates me from the men I’m standing in between. One difference that allows me to pursue my dreams and goals while their life is at a standstill watching their dreams get crushed. One difference that allows me to go anywhere I want in the world, while they lay caged in a refugee camp. One difference that gives me a roof over my head and food on the table, while they sleep outside on the floor in the harsh conditions not knowing if they will have enough to food to eat the next day. One difference that allows me to seek healthcare when I’m sick, while they die slow due to the inadequate & inconsistent healthcare coverage in the camp. What is that difference? I was lucky, and they were not! I was born in the right place, and they were not.. Some may say “We can’t open the borders to these refugees because we have our own problems” Well... What if they are the solution to our problems? After all, over 50 percent of our science, math, engineering, and technology doctors are foreign born citizens. They are NOT taking away our jobs, they are creating thousands of jobs for us! THEY are making this country great. How many refugees and sons and daughters of refugees have come here and made a huge impact for the better? The two men standing next to me are brilliant. One is a civil engineering student and the other is one of the most talented graphic designers that I have ever seen! These people are just a small representing of the refugees’ worldwide and of the 50,000 refugees stuck in Greece. What would you do if your family has been killed, and you had nowhere to go? What would you do if your son was dying and you could not seek healthcare because the hospital was bombed? Would YOU not attempt to cross a border to save your son’s life? Would you cross a border to pursue your dreams after they have been shot down? Or, would you want to die quickly in a war zone or slowly in a refugee camp? This has to end. We have to be better with each other, for the sake of humanity...

"Can you please take a listen to my lungs? I'm worried I may have something. I've been coughing for a month and living outside in the tents is not helping my situation. My home was demolished in Syria and I came here to provide a better future for my kids. I never thought I'd end up in this situation. 

I just want my children to have a better future. Is this too much to ask???"

Ok. What's am I trying to do? I am just trying to tell their stories. To be honest, I don't need the popularity nor am I doing this for some of the recognition that I've gotten from it... I just want to raise awareness for those who have had their lives, livelyhoods, and voices stripped from them! That's all! Someone stated to me that I'm doing this for popularity. I think there are other ways to be popular than leaving your family, job, and going out to another part of the world to be a part of something greater than you. My response to those people..... I'll continue walking the walk, and I'll let them do all the talking. 

"Mohammad! You better eat with us or we will be very upset with you! We won't eat until you sit down with us!!" Sigh...The gift and the curse of our beautiful #middleeastern culture. We will make sure our guests are taken care of before we take care of ourselves. It's hard for me to accept these invites because they often have NOTHING to eat!! A plastic tent for a roof, a ground for a bed, and barely enough food to make it to the next day. Yet they still insist on giving! And giving! And giving! It goes to show you the beauty of the our culture and the beauty of the refugees ❤. Despite having nothing, they give everything! How can we shut our doors on these people and watch them die slowly?? I wish the rest of the world can see this! Just a humble reminder on a Saturday to be thankful for what you have...

They have nothing, yet they give you everything! I was walking by the tent and they would not let me leave until I left with some fresh made bread. If you have a middle eastern friend, or understand the culture, you know that this is the norm.. 

Contents of this orange bag: 1 x intubation kit. 1 x IV kit. 1× fluids bag. 1 x defibrillator incase of a cardiac emergency. Trauma supplies and any medications I could fit into it. This bag helped many. Close to 3000 refugees on its own on any given night. It has seen pain and suffering like no one else... Many nights, all I had was this orange bag and prayers that the night would be a quiet one. I never thought I would be taking care of 3000 people alone. The bag still has the airport tag and that is because I just got back from transporting a child refugee to Switzerland for medical treatment, as he was given hours to days to live... The situation made it hard to smile, yet the refugees made it easy. It seemed like yesterday that I was there, even though it wasn't long ago. 

A humbling experience and hopefully a humble reminder to you guys...... Before you read on. Does this look like an ICU? Is this a pillow or a blanket made into a pillow? Here is the reality... This is what an intensive care unit "ICU" room looks like in a 3rd world country taking care of refugees. This facility is deemed "unofficial" per government. Yet they still run it because they have no choice! They want to take care of the refugees who have been left with no money, housing, or healthcare! For those in healthcare in the west, this can be a humble reminder of the good we have here. This facility has the bare minimum, but they still make it work! They still save lives! They run on very basic equipment. Electricity may shut off a few times a day in hope that the backup generator kicks in. It's very little to no backup or support. Yet. With the help of #sams, it runs! 

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All #hospitals in Aleppo have been bombed and destroyed. Many of the hospitals now are non functional due to the continued bombings of the hospitals and continued targeting of healthcare staff... The last semi functional hospital in East Aleppo, Syria, struggles with damaged equipment and no space. The intensive care units are strained and not enough ventilators around for the critical patients. A medical assistant said " there is no place to walk in the hospital due to lack of space" Babies who should be in incubators are on the floor. Ambulances are being targeted daily as well. Do you know this is going on? Do your friends know this is going on? #tag someone and inform them of the realities we often tend to forget about. How long does this need to go on for in order for someone to say "STOP!!!"?

Quick question America. Why would Israel ban a world renowned humanitarian doctor from entering the Gaza Strip to assist an already crippled healthcare system? This man was named "person of the year" in Norway. Could his stethoscope and pen pose a great security risk? Or... is it because he exposes the horrific attacks done on the Palestinian civilians as highlighted in his book "Night in Gaza". Not only the civilians attacked, but a reported 45 ambulances were struck via Israeli air attacks to the point injured civilians refused to get in them knowing they were targeted. Also, a reported 15 hospitals and 43 clinics were struck during the brutal attacks on Gaza last years... my Hero and dear friend, Dr. Mads Gilbert, has put much effort into writing this.. the link to purchase will be below, please check out this book and tell your friends all about it. Share share share! Aeschylus says "In War, truth is the first casualty." So let's not let this be the case.. 

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Want to help #refugees & children in need? Do you know anyone who wants to help as well? #share this with them! 

I've been asked this question a TON lately. More specifically in relation to those who want to help in Syria. Syrian american medical society aka "SAMS" has done awesone work! I have worked side by side with many of their doctors and nurses all over the world. I know they built many hospitals in Syria with your kind donations. These hospitals were destroyed and they built them from the ground up (and underground). They continue to help despite the bombings that went on in Aleppo, and they have many facilities functioning around syria serving the public. Next is PCRF "Palestine Children Relief Fund" this organization has done amazing work especially for children with congenital heart defects. They bring teams of surgeons to palestine or fly out the children to recieve proper care elsewhere. Their "healing hearts campaign" has a goal of $100,000 in 31 days so anything helps! Their hash tag is #makeaheartbeat is what we are using to get the word out. Look up PCRF and SAMS! It's a season of giving so anything is appreciated.

Side note:  Don't forget about orgs who help in Yemen and nations in Africa! I would include org names but I am unaware of some, so do some research and I'm sure there will be plenty! These are two that I am aware of so I thought I'd share!!

REMINDER (particularly for those who are struggling in this medical jungle)

It's a bird... it's a plane.. No! its...... Done! On to the next challenge! Chicago and off to Lebanon!!

P.s in this field, you have to have a little fun or you will go crazy!

Photo taken at 2:30 am last night. At this point, I was 20.5 hours in, with 15.5 hours to go... You reach a point when the hours just become a blur. So...What makes this easy? It's knowing you took care of someone's loved one and they fully trusted you to do so. We don't get paid enough to do this, especially in EMS. You have to love it. More important, you have to LOVE taking care of people. To everyone who has devoted their life to taking care of total strangers, be it in education, health care, civil service, or anything else, thank you!! It can be tough, but we all know it's sooo worth it. When you put good will out there, people will follow. Keep putting good will out there for a better world. ❤

Last night, family members for a patient I had been taken care of for weeks, found out it was my last shift at this facility. They went out of their way and brought me this cake, which ended up bringing me to tears.... Speaking from the heart.... Healthcare can be brutal. It will beat you down physically, mentally, and emotionally... There are nights that will absolutely tear you apart.... You miss out on family time, weekends become just another day, and sometimes you forget what "sleep" means. You find yourself fighting the angel of death night in and night out, and that beomes routine....Working in healthcare, whether EMS, inpatient, or outpatient is rough.. BUT, very often, you are reminded of why you do it. Like I was last night... Thank you to all of the AMAZING people at Kaiser SSF. Truthfully, some of the best staff that I had ever worked with. It was very hard to say goodbye to everyone. I look forward to seeing you guys soon :)

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Smile during the struggles and smile during the hard times....

Who you are is defined by the things you are willing to struggle for. They say the most simple and basic component of our goals is that our struggles determine our successes. Often times, people fall in love with the results of their goals, but they don't fall in love with the process and the struggle in order to obtain those results. I'm learning to enjoy the process. The process is hard. The process makes me lose sleep. The process sometimes sucks! But you keep moving forward. Keep smiling. The end result is not too far away and I promise you that ❤. So take risks, sleep less, live more, and fight always! A wise man once told me that "the beauty is always in the struggle". I think now I understand what he was trying to tell me just a little bit more now.

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Smile. It's the best form of medicine. For all future healthcare providers out there. Make sure you smile when talking to your patients. Take time to get to know them, even if just for an extra minute, it can do wonders! Don't forget to smile! A smile builds trust. Sometimes we are so focused on the task at hand that we forget this simple thing. It can go a long way. 

Trust me ❤

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People are putting their trust in you, a complete stranger, to bring back their loved one safe and sound. Sometimes these patients are trying very hard to die, and it's on you and the rest of the team to make sure that does not happen... This is truly one of the best jobs in the world. I'm lucky to get glimpses of these experiences throughout my journey...

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Never ever forget those who took a chance on you years ago when no one else would... Many years ago, on this day, I started my career in healthcare. Anyone working EMS will tell you that we are overworked, and underpaid. 99.9% of the time, we are not recognized for putting our lives on the line night in and night out, day in and day out. 

Despite all of this, we strap our boots on and we are out of the station in a heart beat when that call comes in. No matter where I go in life, once EMS, always EMS! to all my people in EMS, thank you!! This one is for you ❤

LIFE REMINDER

"Son, don't say a word. I can see your smile from Chicago. You've come a long way from selling peanuts and water bottles off a highway exit in Chicago." I will never forget that moment...Those were the first words my father echoed to me when I called to inform him that I was accepted into my top anesthesia program in California. The beauty is in the struggle.... The beauty is always in the struggles.... I came from absolutely nothing and I know what it feels like to have nothing. I will never forget the hours of standing out in the sun on hot summer days hoping that next red light, people will buy a water bottle from me. My family was not well-off so I had to do whatever I could to help out. So.. My take home is that YOU can be anything you want in life, you just need to put in the time and the work!

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"You got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can’t do something themselves, they’re gonna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something, go get it." Period. – Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness)

Never let failure and rejection stop you for anything! If I had to go back, I would relive every hardship I had because it made me who I am today. Remember guys, "no" means "next opportunity".

Welcome to our University with your English professor, me.

Are you guys stressed about finals and end of term exams? When going through hard times, think of how good you have it compared to so many around the world. I know these times are tough, but check this out...These 5 refugees infront of me all had their universities destroyed in Syria. They are seeking education by any means possible. Even if it was in a tent with a teacher like me (I'm not the best). Imagine if we had to go through that? Be thankful despite the hard times ❤. I wish you guys best of luck on your finals and end of term exams. 

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Time... Do we make full use of it? Do you value it? The value of time is very important. Do you have 60 seconds? Read on..... They say in order for you to realize the value of 1 year, ask a student working hard to achieve a good grade. To realize the value of a month, ask a woman who gave birth to a premature baby. A week? Ask a weekly magazine editor. A day? Ask a father who can't afford to miss a day of work to put food on the table. An hour? Ask two lovers anxiously waiting to meet. A minute? Ask someone who just missed the train! A second? Ask someone who avoided an accident. And finally, a millisecond... ask the silver medalist in the Olympics. Time... it changes with every situation. Do what you love. Do it right! Because what's the the only thing you want on your deathbed? Think about it..... Time! 

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There will be two dates on your tombstone once your time is up....The dates won't matter as much as that dash "-" in between the numbers. What did you do with your time between those two dates?

Many of us are alive but are we truly living?