A Change.

I remember the look on her face, the tears streaming down her face, and the blood slowly covering the floor. I had blocked out the screams and all of the commotion, she was my one and only focus. When she looked into my eyes I knew she was on the verge of passing out and the pain she was in was intolerable. I had never met this girl before, she was alone walking up the sidewalk of town. The cooling sun was setting and the magnificent cascade of colors illuminated the sky. It was an ordinary Saturday, late March I believe, everything was going fine until that moment when a car forced her off the road and her bicycle came out from under her. I saw it happen, the 10 year old was thrown off the bike and it had came down on top of her. She hit her head on the curb and she second her body stopped the screams started.  An ambulance was on the way but I had to do some thing or she would bleed out too much.

I figured it was practice, knowing I wanted to become a doctor, I took immediate action.  My heart was racing and all my eyes could do was focus on the gushing blood. Thoughts of this young girl dying consumed me and scared me to the point where I wouldn’t allow it. I grabbed the spare shirt that I had in my bad from school and began applying pressure to her head. I asked her simple questions that I knew she could answer like: What color is the grass? About what time is it? How do you spell Learn? This distracted her and myself from what had just happened and it also made sure her brain could process simple things. I made sure I avoided direct contact with her blood to protect myself.
The tragic experiences we face as children help us become strong independent and caring adults. Watching a little girl gush blood from her head, scream and cry in agony was just one of the multiple events that I believe have shaped me into an adult. Taking action was an immediate reflex and probably one of the smartest decisions I have ever made. I found out a day later that she had staples and a mild concussion but she was ok. Being able to act in a split second on such a crazy circumstance proved to myself that I can make mature experiences and think for myself and others. I learned that it can be a good thing  to be afraid because you can learn from any mistakes and it can lead to new educational experiences.