On October 13, 1972, a plane crash in the Andes left a group of survivors stranded in one of the most hostile environments on Earth. They faced extreme cold, avalanches, and the constant threat of starvation. Among them was Roberto Canessa, a young medical student who later became a fetal cardiologist that saved hundreds of lives, whose resourcefulness and resilience would prove crucial in leading the survivors to safety. Over the course of 72 harrowing days, Canessa's strength and determination were tested to their limits, as he and his companions struggled against seemingly insurmountable odds. This life-altering experience, detailed in his autobiography "I Had to Survive," not only pushed Canessa to his limits physically and mentally, but …show more content…
Determined to honor the sacrifices of the deceased, he pursued success and lived with a profound sense of purpose. In later years, he brought his children to the gravesites in the Andes, saying, “Just as I promised you, I made the most I could out of my life. And I wanted you to meet the fruits of your sacrifice.” (Canessa 160) This visit was a powerful testament to his enduring gratitude and the deep respect he held for those who died. It symbolized his pride in fulfilling what those lost souls would have wanted—a life lived to its fullest potential, their sacrifices never forgotten. Another way that Canessa was inspired by those who died was through their selfless actions before they passed away. When the plane crashed into the Andes mountains, Roberto, a medical student at the time, immediately took on the role of a caregiver, assisting as many passengers as he could. One particularly poignant moment involved his friend, Flaco, who was severely injured. As Roberto’s daughter recounted, “Flaco’s legs were badly injured. Dad asked if he was okay, and Flaco answered, ‘Yeah, go help the others.’ Two hours later, Dad checked on him, and he had bled out” (Canessa 210). This moment had a profound impact on Roberto, serving as a powerful inspiration for his …show more content…
This newfound resilience led him to embrace risks throughout his life, propelling him into the demanding field of fetal cardiology. He thrived under pressure, asserting that near-death experiences and the accompanying adrenaline fueled his best work. Reflecting on his time in the Andes, Roberto vividly recalled, “The fear of death is something that you can feel, something you can almost smell, because sometimes it's right in front of you, giving off a sensation of anguish and desperation. But it also forces you to keep a cool head, clear mind.”(Canessa 94) For most, such dire circumstances might prompt a desire to give up. However, for Roberto, the fear of death became a driving force, propelling him to survive against all odds. In the Andes, Roberto’s rudimentary cardiology skills were put to the ultimate test. He faced the pressure of saving lives with limited resources, yet this pressure sharpened his resolve and capability. As he stated, “On the mountain, cardiology was the area in which I was most useful. I wanted to get to the very root of the matter, and that's how I came to fetal cardiology.”(Canessa 167) His determination to tackle the root of his friends injuries, taking those necessary risks in order to save them led him to this highly specialized and challenging field. Roberto's survival in
As good writers do, Kevin has exquisitely used language to favor his side. His wide arsenal includes weapons such as non-sequiturs, vague comparisons, jargons, emotive terms, connoted meanings and multiple others. The author knew that his target audience would not be specialized in bioengineering and its application in the medicine industry. He exploited this vulnerability of theirs by using scientific terms like “formulaic”, “clinically”, “suicidal ideation” and “cardiac hypertrophy” throughout the essay. This usage of jargon (Carroll, 2012) accompanied by him acting as an expert persuades the reader to believe in his writing.
Louis “Louie” Zamperini went from the Terror of Torrance to a World War II hero. He grew from a young boy, who terrorized his town, into a record breaking runner, who competed in the Olympics. He later joined the United States Army Air Forces and served as a bombardier in World War II. After his plane crashed and he was stuck on a raft in the ocean, he was captured by the Japanese and became a prisoner of war. Louie’s resourcefulness, toughness, and defiance from his boyhood helped him to survive the relentless torment thrown at him later in life.
In the article, Gawande shares a story from when he worked in a hospital as a resident. His first real procedure, placing a central line through a stout man’s heart to receive nutrition, would result in few problems if it were performed by experienced hands. However, knowing this is his first operation to be done alone, Gawande’s nervousness grew with every thought of what could go dramatically wrong. Before beginning, the author recollects studying all of the precise moves and cuts his superior named S. carried out on the same type of procedure on a person beforehand. After feeling informed and confident, Gawande begins by gathering all the necessary tools needed for the job. But as he thought he finished, S. chimes in reminding him of the multiple things he failed to remember to grab or setup. He uneasily shook off the mistakes, and began by locating the point on the man’...
The Kokoda trail is a great achievement for any man to achieve. The Kokoda trail takes 11 days of bush, mud and wild life to complete. It is 96km and runs through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea. This would have been a huge task for any man to complete, let alone someone of Fernley’s physical disability. However, Fearnley soldiered on through this jungle only using his arms to pull himself up and over rocks, rough ground and through rivers, creeks and gullies. Therefore he would have to have a lot of strength in his arms to be able to do this. Although he is very strong he still needed to have his friends and family by his side to help him. Four people died on the Kokoda trail even though they had legs so seeing that Fearnley was born without legs, this would have had to be one of his greatest achievements in his life. The Kokoda trail was also the scene of some of Australia’s bloodiest action in world war two. It also cuts through some of the world’s most difficult, rugged and treacherous terrain. Kurt Fernley’s role models that inspired him where the soldiers that fought in the war that were very heroic. Even though that Fernley had no legs and could have caught a tropical disease, such as malaria, because of the boiling hot, humid days and torrential rainfall but this man still soldiered on. Fernley is very brave because this trail is one of the most dangerous treks
The science and history of the heart can be traced back as far as the fourth century B.C. Greek philosopher, Aristotle, declared the heart to be the most vital organ in the body based on observations of chick embryos. In the second century A.D, similar ideas were later reestablished in a piece written by Galen called On the Usefulness of the Parts of the Body. Galen’s thesis was that the heart was the source of the body’s essential heat and most closely related to the soul. Galen made careful observations of the physical properties of the heart as well. He said “The heart is a hard flesh, not easily injured. In hardness, tension, in general strength, and resistance to injury, the fibers of the heart far surpasses all others, for no other instrument performs such continues, hard work as the heart”(Galen, Volume 1).
The work continues to incorporate the deflating of authority by presenting Father Amador. Father Amador attended medical school for a few years and performs the autopsy on Santiago Nasar. Page 76 in the work describes the after effects of the autopsy. “They gave us back a ...
The American Heart Association gives sufficient evidence for the need of change by acknowledging that sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death (2012). These fatalities affect both adult and child victims. Statistics also show that 70% of people feel helpless during a cardia...
Award-Winning author Laura Hillenbrand writes of the invigorating survival story of Louie Zamperini in her best selling book, Unbroken. Louie Zamperini was an ambitious, record-breaking Olympic runner when he was drafted into the American army as an airman during World War II. On the mission that led him to embark on a journey of dire straits, Louie’s plain crashed into the Pacific Ocean, leaving only him and two other crewmen as survivors. Stranded on a raft in shark infested waters, without any resources or food, and drifting toward enemy Japanese territory, the men now have to face their ultimate capture by Japanese, if they survive that long. Louie responded to his desperation with dexterity, undergoing his plight with optimism and confidence, rather than losing hope. In this memorable novel, Hillenbrand uses a vivid narrative voice to divulge Louie’s tale of endurance, and proves that the resilience of the human mind can triumph through adversity.
“I was raised to face any challenge.” This statement, made by Louis Zamperini, sums up his journey perfectly. As a young child, Louis was a cunning miscreant. Eventually channeling his defiance into running, Zamperini began his career as a runner. Zamperini became a very famous long distance runner, even competing in the olympics one year. When World War 2 began, Louis joined the air corps as a bombardier. One mission brought a terrible fate upon the airman; after a fatal plane crash Louis and two other survivors took to a raft that was without food, without water, and surrounded around the clock by sharks. Louis had just survived this impossible task only to be captured by the Japanese Navy. Louis narrowly escaped death several times in several different prisoner camps, including a camp with a particularly brutal guard nicknamed “the bird”. Zamperini was eventually rescued and sent home at the conclusion of the war. His incredible survival of these brutal and vicious camps lead to a very strong case of PTSD, which lead to a severe drinking problem and caused his wife to temporarily leave him, taking their child with her. Eventuall...
Evel Knievel was not afaid of failure, even whe he crashed a lot, but that is what makes him a brave daredevil. “Robert Craig Knievel Jr. died in November after 69 years, which by all means is more than twice as long as it should have taken him” (Time).
I arrived in Italy two days afteri was informed about the death. Stepping out of the airoplane was one of the most breathtaking moments of my life because i felt her presence when a ruush of muld air struck me aswell ...
motto “Nemo me impune lacessit.”(22) As for Fortunato he has rest in peace for over fifty years without a single person noticing his passing.
Gonzales, Laurence. Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why: True Stories of Miraculous Endurance and Sudden Death. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2003. Print.
...ctor to tell him of his mother’s pains, he is uninterested. “My mother wants you to come”, says the young boy. “Leave me alone”, replies the doctor in a drunken stupor. “You’re that woman’s son, aren’t you, the pregnant one who thinks she’s a princess” (221). When the doctor is finally convinced to check up on Cristina, he only makes matters worse. Upon his arrival in Vitto’s room, Cristina notices his condition and says: “You smell-like a liquor factory” (225). He takes no notice of these remarks, showing no concern for the life of the baby or Cristi. Although he manages to deliver the baby, we find that Vittorio’s mother has died during the night due to excessive bleeding. Dr. Cosabene’s ignorance has brought death and pain to a family that has been reduced to two, a young boy and his little sister.
Many people show different acts of courage. Juliane Koepcke is one of them, she is 17 years old and she survived a plane crash. On Christmas Eve Juliane boarded a plane with her mother to meet her father. The plane was struck by lightning and everyone was in a great surprise. The wing tore off causing the plane to crash. Juliane was on the plane with 92 other people, all of the passengers died beside Juliane. She failed to find the