The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society Med Journal Feb 2020_Final | Page 6

Commentary
W
by Sandra Marchese Johnson, MD, FAAD
Reaching Your Destination
in Medicine and in Life
here the Wind Leads: A Refu-
gee Family's Miraculous Story
of Loss, Rescue, and Redemp-
tion,” by Vinh Chung and Tim
Downs, is a skintastic book. Mrs. Nikki Adams,
my daughter Anna’s AP Literature teacher in
Greenwood, discussed this book at student
orientation. I encourage you all to read it.
Vinh Chung is a refugee from Vietnam who
ends up growing up in Fort Smith, Ark., and
becoming a dermatologic surgeon. He is cur-
rently practicing medicine in Colorado – our
loss, since he is not here in Fort Smith. He has
written this book and has come back to Arkan-
sas to share his story and encourage others to
pay it forward. I messaged him to thank him
for sharing his inspiring story. He replied, “We
have all been placed on this earth to make it
better.” This world would be a much better
place if we all lived in a way to try to make our
earth better. This book is great. It reminds us
how strong the human will and spirit is – par-
ticularly that of parents, since we will do al-
most anything for our children.
There is a phrase that comes to my mind when
thinking about this book: “Change how you see
and see how you change.” In one section of the
book, Dr. Chung discusses so eloquently the
difference between a refugee and an immigrant
– a contrast that really impacted me. He ex-
plains that he and his family are refugees that
fled their home out of desperation and with
survival instincts to escape their current un-
sustainable situation. He compares his experi-
ence as a refugee with that of an immigrant. An
immigrant seeks a new country/place/location
with the hope for a better life and more oppor-
tunity.
In medicine, especially in dermatology, we are
forced to use our knowledge and experience to
make critical decisions in a split second. I real-
ize that these skills are useful in medicine, but
they may actually be detrimental when it comes
to living life. I must admit that I’m usually un-
154 • The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society
educated or undereducated when it comes to
the issues I’m bombarded with through vari-
ous media channels. Almost every day, I hear
about the “immigrant crisis” or “refugees
overtaking our country.” I’m not sure if all this
media bombardment has numbed me to the
situation, or if my lack of education prohibits
me from processing it appropriately. I do know
that “Where the Wind Leads” has changed how
I see. I hope I see how I change.
This book resonated with me for many reasons.
My mom immigrated from Italy when she was
six years old. Because my grandfather did not
have all his “papers” in order, they were not al-
lowed to board the Andrea Doria ship and were
forced to wait for the next boat. This was fortu-
nate for them because, sadly, the Andrea Doria
sunk on that voyage in the Atlantic Ocean. At
least 46 people died. When they finally arrived
in the promised land of the United States, they
lived with a distant family member and her par-
ents found the only work they could find.
They worked tirelessly. As a result, my mom is
one of the strongest people I know. She was
uprooted to a new country, and no one in her
family spoke the language. She started school
the week after she came to the U.S. Each day,
she learned some English and came home to
teach her family. She graduated high school
and joined the work force. It was there, when
my mom was a shy, 19-year-old girl working in
a department store (with her mother who bare-
ly spoke English) that my dad approached her
and followed her home. When he sought out
my mom as a potential date, he was a veteran
who recently returned home after hitting a land
mine while in Vietnam and then spending six
months in a coma and recovering from a femur
fracture.
Fortunately for me, my mom and dad dated,
eventually married, and had children. Like
Vinh’s parents, they encouraged their children
to study hard and get an education. They encour-
aged us the best way they knew how to strive
for
more
than
they
had.
They
worked hard
to
provide
the best life
they could for
their children.
I’m thankful
for the life
they
have
given me and
the love they
showed me
by example.
They repeatedly (as a child and even now as an
adult) teach me that my life is a gift from God
and that what I do with that life is my gift back
to God. They discuss that life is a precious gift
and any gift can be taken away at any time –
on a ship, on the battlefield, or even in your
bed while you are sleeping. Live each day like
it is your last. Give your best every day. My
dad gave up his dream job of working in the
family business of Marchese Construction to
take a more stable and higher-paying job on
the assembly line of the General Motors plant
in Lordstown, Ohio. My parents not only told
my sister and me every day that they loved us,
they also showed us by example. They worked
hard to provide the best they could for us. That
is what parents do. We are only more blessed
because of the sacrifices our parents made to
give us a better life.
I’m thankful for my life. I’m more thankful after
reading “Where the Wind Leads.” I encourage
you to read this book. I ask that you share any
inspiring books you read with me. After all,
as Dr. Chung states, “Do not believe that you
will reach your destination without leaving the
shore.” Stay skintastic.
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