SUPER HEROES AMONG US
MY PARENTS , MY HEROES AUTHOR Katie Wilmes , MS3
Merriam-Webster defines a hero as 1 .) a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities , 2 .) a person who is greatly admired . This word was once reserved for the superhero characters of comic books and the courageous warriors of our country . However , today , the word “ hero ” is displayed in shop windows , on yard signs and scattered throughout the news describing everyday humans doing extraordinary acts of service .
The selfless and heroic nature of many individuals stood out during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic . This pandemic shined a light on the acts of bravery made by health care workers , schoolteachers , parents , caretakers and essential workers who were creative and determined to continue some form of normalcy in a time of adversity . In addition , parents became the forefront of the praise and admiration for balancing childcare and homeschooling on top of managing to work from home . While most children already considered their parents as heroes , the praise from the community was long overdue .
In my short few years of adulthood , I have grown to appreciate my parents not only for providing for my basic needs during childhood , but also for their compassion , wisdom and guidance . My parents allowed me to travel from a young age and encouraged me to always try my best . As a child , I watched their every move , they instilled in me a strong work ethic , motivation for problem solving and a desire to be philanthropic . I know they would have cheered me on in any career , but they have been my biggest supporters through medical school .
My dad , Mark , worked his way through college as a non-traditional student . After graduation , he began working for the US Army Corps of Engineers and is currently approaching 34 years of service . With several moves halfway across the country , he has worked his way up from a park ranger to deputy chief of operations . During his career , he spent several years working in support of FEMA for disaster relief . He responded to several natural disasters including Hurricane Georges ( Puerto Rico ), the Northridge Earthquake ( California ), Hurricane Francis ( Florida ) and Super Typhoon Pongsona ( Guam ). In responding to these disasters , he supervised the blue roof missions , debris removal , damage surveys and building inspections .
He also held a Red Card , the Incident Qualification Card , which certified him as a wildland firefighter for several years . He was honored to serve as the national chairperson of The Operations Project Manager Community of Practice Advisory Board for two years . I truly believe my dad ’ s commitment to serving others and taking on leadership roles through his career influenced my passion to pursue a career through which I could make an impact on people ’ s lives . Undoubtedly , seeing the reward he got from speeding to catastrophes , to helping others during times of crisis , sparked my passion for emergency medicine . Although in a very different manner , I want to be able to step in during those moments of fear and panic and be able to offer a helping hand , just as he has for so many .
My mom , Teresa , is a registered nurse and opened my eyes to the rewarding aspects of serving others through health care . Over her 34 years as a nurse , she has transitioned from the Mayo Clinic Hospital , Saint Marys Campus to a small homecare agency in Western Kentucky to working for a family medicine practice in Durham , North Carolina , with a few more stops along the way . Now that I am part of the health care team , I have so much appreciation for the sacrifices my mom made to have a strong family , while challenging herself to establish an impressive resume throughout her career . However , the most outstanding part is that I was able to be a witness to the compassion that she shows patients .
My mother stepped in to care for my grandpa while he was under hospice care at home . One day , her quick thinking saved him a trip to an urgent care when he fell due to an uneven sidewalk , she sprang into action and carefully helped him up . While he was embarrassed and denied any pain , she reassured him and quickly accessed his skin which was covered in skin tears . Thankfully , she keeps her nursing bag in the car and was able to quickly clean and bandage his wounds so he could continue to enjoy one of his last days out of the house . I have always admired her willingness to step in and her savvy ability to help others during a crisis . I want to grow up to be like her , to feel confident , calm and act swiftly whenever trouble hits .
While some people might envision a hero with a costume and cape , I have realized the world is filled with heroes . They are everyday people carrying out acts of bravery which take courage and determination . I think it is easy to understand why our vocabulary has been saturated with the word “ hero ” recently , but really , these heroes have been here all along .
Katie Wilmes is a third-year medical student at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in the Trover Track .
DECEMBER 2021 15