Preface

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
(Dylan Thomas).

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Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay

Prologue

These are a few stories of those that have struggled. Some are adventurers. Some are not. Fate put them in harm's way and left them to fend against the monsters in our lives. These fellow humans would not go gentle into that good night.

We are better than the struggles we face.

Introduction

Welcome, fellow sentient beings, to our fifth installment in the Faith in Humanity series. During this series, we discuss everyday acts of Humanity that may either restore your faith or crush it.

We all have struggles. It is sometimes difficult for us to find inspiration or hope along the way. Stories can help us find our path again or send us into the abyss.

Today is no different. We learn of people who survive despite the attempts of fate to destroy them, or perhaps, its effort to save them to tell the tale. What we don't always expect to see, however, is that with every miracle, a common expectation exists.

#1 - A Man not Meant for Death

Background

Tsutomu Yamaguchi worked as a naval engineer for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. During the summer of 1945, Yamaguchi spent his time working on the design of a new oil tanker in Hiroshima, Japan. His residence was Nagasaki, Japan, with his family, and he lived in Hiroshima during the period of his work. Little did he know that fate would test him not once, but twice.

The Morning Event

During one of his final walks to his workplace, he noticed a plane overhead. Looking overhead, he saw the plane and the object it dropped with a parachute. The sky erupted with light. Instinctively, he dove into a ditch, not knowing what was about to occur.

The shockwave that followed pull him from his ditched and sent him hurtling. Less than two miles away from ground zero, he eventually awoke understandably shaken. The explosion nearly blotted out the sun. Bodies were burned or almost ashen all around him. Hell opened itself around him.

Along with other survivors, he traversed land and river filled with dead and melted bodies.

The Afternoon Event

Shaken from the event, Tsutomu received medical attention after returning to his family. He returned to work, covered in bandages, and reported his experiences to his employers who did not believe his story. During his continued explanation of his ordeal, a second atomic bomb exploded nearly 2 miles away again. His wife and infant child also escaped the blast as they were looking for burn ointment and were able to hide in a tunnel.

A Long Life Lived

Tsutomu Yamaguchi was 29 years old when he was one of a small fraction of people that survived both atomic bomb explosions. Aside from the initial injuries he faced following both blasts, he never succumbed to any radiation-related illnesses.

He died at the old age of 93, surviving his wife, who died in 2008, and his only son dead at 59 of cancer. Of his two daughters, one has always been chronically ill, while the other is relatively healthy.

Short Documentary

#2 - A Cuddle Before Heaven

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Very few events on this Earth are more profound than the birth of a child. I was privileged to be by my wife's side during her two pregnancies with our sons. I could not imagine the emotional turmoil some parents have to go through when doctors encounter a problem. Unfortunately, problems do happen. Problems make parents sometimes face a hard choice.

Background

One family faced the horrid decision regarding the health of their child. Doctors notified Sofia Khan and her husband of their son's severe case of Spina Bifida. The parents had the option of either terminating the pregnancy or allowing the birth of the child who will undoubtedly experience life-long medical issues and early death.

A Not So Simple Choice

While it's natural for parents to say that they would allow the child's birth and provide for them as best as possible, evidence showed that Khan's intents might not be justified. The child's evaluation revealed that, aside from spina bifida, he had "...no knee joints and fluid around his brain". The medical staff notified the parents that the child likely would not survive long after birth, if at all. Sofia chose the path of abortion.

The Fated Day

The abortion took place in two stages: termination and delivery. Following the termination part of the procedure, the medical staff stated that the child was dead. Or was he? At some point, the mother sensed the baby moving. She brought this up to the nurse and recommended that they recheck the baby's heartbeat, but the nurse stated that there was no need. The nurse didn't believe her because there couldn't be any possible way the baby could be alive.

One Cuddle with Mommy

The second stage of the process was a local hospital inducing the birth of her supposedly stillborn child. However, when Sofia gave birth to her son, it began to cry. The cries of the newborn boy warmed her heart, and she was thankful to hold him in her arms before his trip to heaven came to pass. I couldn't possibly understand the pain a mother must go through with the death of a child.

However, I know that Sofia Khan was thankful for the brief moment she spent holding him. "Fortunately," the hospital and doctors added additional controls to ensure more compassionate terminations in the future that does not end with the same result.

Short Documentary

Video interviews or documentaries were not available for this story.

#3 - It takes a village

The Citizen, Scholastica Kimaryo
They say that it takes a village to raise a child. There is truth to that statement, I think. In our daily lives, parents solely raise a child in the beginning years of their birth. Eventually, the school system lends aid as parents bring their children to daycare and other educational systems. Children interact with society in many ways through their friends, various activities, and then entry into adulthood.

Society rears some children for leadership, workforce activities, and, unfortunately, the barrel's bottom. Nothing can be further from the truth when speaking of the treatment of women. In certain parts of the world, women are the lower class destined for a life of servitude, and sometimes, worse.

No matter how dark our life maybe, even the faintest light can set us free.

Background

In the village of Maua in Kibosho, on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, their society made girls feel inferior. If ill, families did not take their girls to the hospital. The community made these women perform hard labor. In the case of Scholastica Kimaryo, even hard-work and outstanding academic performance weren't enough to allow her higher education. Her society expected girls to stay at home and get married. The light in Kimaryo's life came in the form of none other than her mother.

Maria Yosepha Laurenti

Maria knew the potential of her daughter. What does a parent do when an obstacle faces their child? Two options, among perhaps many, exist: train the child to overcome that obstacle or remove it yourself. The first option wasn't necessarily possible. Scholastica was up against her community. It took someone that's been part of the city all her life to help her daughter.

Her father wouldn't help, and neither would her brothers. They were part of the system, and they conformed to its guidelines. Maria turned the perceptions of their family and objections into slow approval. She raised enough money to allow her daughter to attend the higher education she needed. She changed the perception of her village so much that her daughter went outcast to role model.

A Hard-Earned Life

Scholastica Kimaryo did herself, her village, and future generations of women proud. She spent many years working with the United Nations and brought electricity and education to her town. Their community now expects women to exceed their educational upbringings and demonstrate to their communities that there are more worths to women than past generations believed.

It certainly takes a village to raise a child, but sometimes it takes a parent to change a village's outlook and a child's dream to change how they raise that child.

Short Documentary

#4 - Caremongerers

Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay

The COVID-19 pandemic isn't only the result of widespread disease. The speed of infection surpasses its detection. And with this speed comes chaos and the revelation of faults. No matter how quickly we responded, it will never be good enough. Regardless of how well a country could have mitigated the pandemic, the loss of someone loved almost negates the efforts. It's easy to say that the ends justify the means until the means impacts you directly.

There are those, however, whose means justify their ends. Some groups within Canada do what is needed to deliver care and comfort during these times. Their efforts have spread across the globe. They call themselves the caremongers.

Background

The world finds itself isolated as a result of health guidelines meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19 throughout human society. Many people found themselves alone and without aid. Stories filled with abandoned people flooded the internet. Enter Canadians, set on ensuring people aren't lonely, and that help exists for those in need even during a pandemic.

Facebook saw the creation of several dozen groups to assist in various Canadian cities. The intent was to offer help to anyone needed it, but they also wanted to focus on those high-risk for COVID-19 health complications. Their aid ranged from soup delivery to remote or outside exercise classes meeting social distancing guidelines.

The founder of the caremongering movement, Valentina Harper, created a new contagion. It wasn't one of disease, scaremongering, or violence. It became a movement driven by social media across the globe. It showed the world that everyone affected by the pandemic was better than the fear that would generally prevent action.

Short Documentary

#6 - Coronavirus Challenge

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

It's a saying I learned of in the military: "The stupid shall be punished." During the COVID-19 pandemic, a peculiar challenge called "Coronavirus Challenge" popped up throughout the net.

Background

It appears the Instagram and Twitter personality Ava Louise started a trend for fame. She called it the "Coronavirus Challenge." She filmed herself licking a toilet seat aboard an airplane. It was all for publicity. According to Ava, she bleached the toilet seat before she licked it because it's dirty. Oh, and the toilet was inside of her sugar daddy's private jet. It's okay, though, because, according to Ava, she's "blonde, sexy, and skinny."

Another internet personality taking part of the Coronavirus Challenge was Shawn Mendes. His videos show him becoming much more personal with the toilet than Ava. He skipped the whole cleaning part of the toilet-licking to show real bravery. A short time after the stunt, he reported he was hospitalized as a result of COVID-19.

Short Documentary

#7 - Italian Life Abound Amidst Pandemic

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

I spent 5 1/2 years stationed onboard a fast-attack submarine. I understand isolation. The exception here is that I know the loneliness I volunteered for while serving with other sailors who also understood it. It is difficult to know how others would feel under the same circumstances. Thanks to COVID-19, I got to see it first hand in my family. We've had to learn to be quite creative to pass the time away over the last months.

Background

The date is March 13, 2020. Italy is on full lockdown under some of the tightest quarantine restrictions on record. You're allowed to leave your home under specific circumstances. Gatherings are not allowed—only stores with essentials to sell remained open.

Humanity is a social species. Our biology requires interaction, and science knows this well. It is unsurprising then that the Italian community took unorthodox measures to remain connected to each other. Instead of meeting within bars, clubs, or halls, their means of interaction became musical.

They began singing from rooftops, balconies, or the entry-ways to their homes. They expressed their love for life into the open air and met each other with reciprocating tones, voices, and percussive beats. They refused to linger in the commanded isolation by governments and disease.

Short Documentary

Documentary #1 - Singing from Balconies

Documentary #2 - Making Music

#8 - Cow Urine Miracle

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

Different societies hold different beliefs. These beliefs may be perfectly reasonable to one culture, while others hold it is utter nonsense. It depends upon what you believe and if it is consistent with your community. Ultimately, the individual decides what path to follow.

Background

Some Hindu beliefs hold that the cow is a sacred symbol of life. The Northern part of Kolkata in India follows this logic. They follow it so intently that they utilize various components of this symbol to nullify the effects of COVID-19 or prevent people from getting it.

A group in this area created a cow-worshipping program permitting them to consume cow urine or feces to protect themselves from this disease. Understandably, people who do not follow this faith and, instead, choose science, are shocked at the practice. Their state government denounced the practice "completely unscientific" and urges people not to "...fall into the trap".

Short Documentary

#9 - Chinese Life Abound Amidst Pandemic

Image by 272447 from Pixabay

Societies have their way of dealing with stay-at-home orders. We've seen how Italians use songs to pass the time away. I used similar methods at home, ranging from dancing and singing Spanish to my wife to dancing to Blippi songs with my kids. It's harmless and fun. The residents of China, however, learned to relieve their stress through comedy and the TikTok application.

Background

The Chinese celebrated everything from Chinese New Year to preparations for the Olympics through the TikTok app. And it was hilarious. You couldn't help but laugh at everything they did and feel a bit of ease in tension for each laugh you made. Chinese residents would slither on the ground like a dragon. One woman organized her home to perform a tour she would have otherwise gotten paid for somewhere else. People of all walks of life in China used this internet app to recreate events they would be performing otherwise without the pandemic.

Short Documentary

#10 - A Family without Mommy

Image by lisa runnels from Pixabay

Death comes for us all. We wish to know when that time arrives. We desire to meet it at the place we want under the conditions we deem adequate. Life, however, does not exist to meet our needs and can be cold, hard, and cruel. We can even lose our loved ones in an instant.

Background

Ashley and Diego Duque has a loving family with a 2-year old daughter. Ashley and Diego were 15-weeks pregnant. It was a time of joy knowing that a new member of the family would arrive in welcoming and loving arms. Life, however, seems fit to remind us of our fleeting lives.

Ashley, while 15 weeks pregnant, tested positive for COVID-19. Initially placed in at-home isolation, Ashely soon found that her health issues became more complicated and alarming. She returned to the hospital and further declined in health. Her deteriorating condition forced doctors to intubate her and place her in a medically-induced coma.

Diego suddenly found himself to be a full-time father with his emotions in turmoil. COVID-19 restrictions prevented him from seeing his wife. The future appeared bleak and unknown. Will he ever hold the love of his life again? Life sometimes gives us a glimmer of hope and the feeling of salvation.

Ashley awoke several days later from her coma to find that her labored breathing patterns improved. Awake, alert, and seeking her family, she returned hope to them by revealing her improvement. Her baby was still healthy and growing. At the time of her recovery, on April 5, 2020, Ashely stated she couldn't wait to reunite with her family.

Short Documentary

Psychological Review

Pixabay

The implications of COVID-19 restrictions have shown us if anything, the harmful effects of isolation. Populations become quite unruly without the pre-COVID distractions in life. No sports. No walking around for whatever reason. In some cases, there were over-the-top measures taken against anyone that didn't employ social distancing guidelines.

In some cases, like with Italy and China, people discovered new outlets to communicate with each other. In other cases, various populations across the United States, for instance, became a powder keg awaiting a spark before actions became explosive. If I take anything from these events, it is to cherish the days I am given and always seek out alternative means of communication so that I may never become completely isolated.

What can Society Do?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Respect one another. Learn from each other. Inhale and exhale during a frustrating event. Anger during discussions never ends well and usually leads to violent acts. Take care of yourself, both physically and mentally.

Humanity in Review

Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay

There are amazing stories of people surviving any number of impossible odds. When tragedy visits, we may have the right to choose whether to live or die. For the stories presented today, our survivors chose life.

In Closing

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Thanks again for following on with this series. I look forward to presenting you with additional activities that focus on Humanity in the future.

Each topic presented poses different challenges during research. It is essential to cite all available references for this work to ensure that all readers can validate the information presented as they desire. The goal, ultimately, is the dissemination of accurate and thoughtful information. Unfortunately, some topics are more difficult to research than others.

Your thoughts?

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

How do you feel about the information presented today? Do you have any stories to share of struggle and survival? Please share it with us in the comments below!