Miraculous!

Dear Readers,   Christmas has been called “the season of miracles.” Miracle is defined as “an event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a divine or supernatural cause.”¹ I don’t know if you believe in miracles, but I surely do! As a surgeon, I have seen patients recover from injuries and illnesses from which there was virtually no chance of survival and the medical personnel had given up all hope. On a more mundane level, just look around you. I think it is a miracle of nature that the deer in Alabama, even though they cannot read or write, know exactly when hunting season starts and ends. I see deer on my property for most of the year except during hunting season. I still consider it a miracle when two cells from unrelated persons (hopefully!) come together and form a relatively normal human being. Miraculously, these two cells do not immunologically react with each other, but after they unite and divide a few times, they react violently on contact with any other “foreign” cell.^2,3 Most consider it a miracle that Christmas causes many people to act as they should all year long!   Sometimes things that are seemingly beyond comprehension occur, and the outcome is so good it is considered miraculous. I can relate to that type of situation, but would like to share with you the story of Dr. Laura Stachel, an obstetrician-gynecologist from California, who is responsible for the 70% reduction in maternal mortality rate in one African hospital within 1 year.^4,5 Yes, 70%. Could that be considered a miracle?   Dr. Stachel was practicing obstetrics and gynecology in California until 2002 when a major back injury resulted in her being unable to practice any longer. Initially, she was devastated. Undaunted, she earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH) and decided to study why so many women in developing countries were dying during childbirth. Much to her surprise, she found that many of the hospitals in developing countries did not have electricity 24 hours per day. Often, during deliveries or cesarean sections, there wasn’t any light or it would go out in the middle of the procedure, which created a very dangerous circumstance for both the mothers and the babies. When Dr. Stachel told her husband about the problem, he devised a solar electrical system for the hospital to assure electricity during deliveries and cesarean sections. In addition, Dr. Stachel and her husband developed solar panels and an electrical system that could fit in a suitcase and provide enough electricity to allow the nursing staff to use walkie-talkies to communicate with emergency personnel. This combination, which allowed people to see to help these patients, resulted in a 70% reduction in the maternal mortality in that hospital in 1 year! You might not call that a miracle, but the people who use that hospital certainly do! She has subsequently been able to provide what are now called “solar suitcases” to more than 100 hospitals in 14 countries.   Many times our goals, dreams, and lives change based on events many would consider tragedies. Who could explain the series of events that occurred for Dr. Stachel to be in the position to see a need, meet the need, and have such a major impact on the lives of so many in a land far away? Would you call it miraculous? As we enjoy another Christmas, “the season of miracles,” see if you can identify any miraculous events in your life or the lives of those around you. I, along with Dr. Stachel, can truly attest to their occurrence. Will you be the next recipient of what would be considered a miraculous event? Merry Christmas.

References

1. Urdang L, ed. The Random House Dictionary of the English Language. New York, NY: Random House; 1968:852. 2. Hunter P. Differentiating hope from embryonic stem cells. The Scientist. 2003;17(34):31. 3. Lanza R, Rosenthal N. The stem cell challenge. Sci Am. 2004;290(6):92–99. 4. Kagen D. Solar suitcases deliver more than light. Atlanta Journal-Constitution. November 20, 2011:E10. 5. We Care Solar. Accessed: November 27, 2011. Available at: www.wecaresolar.org.