Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Ariana Spagna Service Analysis 9/19/12



All my life I have been playing sports since the day I could walk.  Basketball, lacrosse, and later field hockey, were my true main passions throughout my seventeen years of being.  Being competitive and part of a team were the two things I have grown to know best.  Not saying that I disregard my athletics now, but after contributing so much of my life to them, it soon became clear to me that helping people was my true identity.   
            It all started when my grandfather was emitted into St. Francis hospital, battling with the deathly disease of emphysema all his life.  I would visit him at least four times at week at home, but soon the disease brought him to the hospital and he needed help.  Around the age of seven, you would traditionally think that being in this type of environment with patients with diseases of all kinds would make me terribly frightened.  Surprisingly, this atmosphere was home to me.  Once the disease won, I knew he was in a better place, because of his everlasting suffering, but what I also knew was that I wanted to do something in his memory. 
            There wasn’t a thing I couldn’t do that wouldn’t make my grandfather proud of me and I knew he would always be watching whatever I did, from up above.  With this in mind, I decided to do volunteer work at St. Francis hospital that I could.  Still keeping my athletics afloat, I went to the hospital a few times a week for a couple hours and enjoyed every minute of it.  Not that seeing sick people was something pleasant to witness, but to help them, interact with them, and to see the love their families had for them, almost felt like a gift to me. 
            This experience created so many unforgettable memories, that I will always carry with me.  Not only did volunteering make me feel like a better person, but it also opened my eyes to see how other people suffered and that things can always be worse.  I have always had a desire to study medicine in my near future, but it became evident to me that this was something I sincerely wanted to do.  Bringing aid to people in any way is what I truly believe I am destined to do and this experience really opened my eyes to that.   

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