This week, I asked the Rich Diction public speaking participants to develop an introduction based on the speech, 'If I had a super power...'
One of them said that she would desire to have the super power to heal. I thought that was brilliant and necessary.
After reading 'Gifted Hands,' the biography of Dr. Ben Carson, well known for being instrumental in separating the Binder siamese twins in 1987, there is actually much more to him than that surgery. I would never have known half of it, if I had not read his book.
The book is available on Amazon. If you are searching for a story of unrestrained hope, of smashing every possible ceiling and of defying every stereotype, then this is the book.
His mother, like many single mothers, is very instrumental in his life and his childhood, especially raising boys who had many doors slammed in their faces at the time, in the U.S.
The journey to medical school and beyond was not straight forward at all, infused with military training and navigating love, travelling across continents and being raised by a single mother after his parents' divorce.
Single parenting does not come with a manual and even if it did, it would not make it any easier. Sonya Carson truly deserved a medal for her tenacity.
Ben and his brother Curtis, both brilliant boys, were blessed by their mother. Their own careers took different paths. And in order to appreciate the gravity of separating the conjoined twins, it is important to understand how the healing process is not just a physical process but a mental one as well. Ben spent time in prayer, in hope, lifting his anxieties to God, before and during surgeries.
Every surgery, most of which involved delicate incisions, operating on delicate vessels or extremely time-sensitive procedures, were a lesson in faith. Before the famous surgery, were so many others, each of which deserved their own book.
The captivating moments of smiling parents, weeks after their children recover from comatose, or the joy of witnessing a frail patient regain strength, are all part of the mystery and journey in operating rooms.
'Gifted Hands' teaches a lot about purpose and how purpose should be able to make the world a better place. It teaches the importance of family. It teaches the undeniable importance of team work for any task and of course, the power of prayer and faith.
With the recent occurrence of the terrible tragedy of Pamela Tumwebaze's death, Dean of Studets at UCU Mukono, 'Gifted Hands,' is a suitable book to read.
Reviewed by Bev
