After searching for what seemed like hours for a great article, I came across one that was probably the most touching story I have ever read in my life. Not only did it impact me emotionally, by making me almost break down in to tears because of the tragic accidents that happened, but also mentally, in realizing that there are people who really want to help out those less fortunate than them. It's a strong narrative about what the volunteers did in Salerno, Afghanistan, and what a tragic story that happened to two little Afghan sisters. The blog post's title was "Volunteers Spark Warmth at Burn Center" by Dale Coparanis.
An ear-popping explosion surround the burn unit, a sount that all the volunteers and crew knew too well. Once again a hearter had exploded in the home of two little Afghan sisters and their family. They were rushed inside the unit that had been set up in Salerno for about 2 months then. The explosion itself destroyed the Afghan sisters' family, house, amongst other things. Their other two siblings were killed, and their house had been destroyed.
"Many Afghans buy the wrong kind of fuel for their heaters, which they operate by using butane. They proceed to light the heater, causing it to explode in their faces," said Sultan Ahmad, an Afghan Cultural Specialist.
This article goes on to further explain the roles and duties of the volunteers and how wonderful they are to this clinic. The little girls will be ok, but in the long run, this will happen again. The volunteers know this because it is an ongoing occurrence that seems to be unaddressed. No one is letting these people know that they are harming themselves by using the fuel they do and so this kind of catastrophe will happen again. These volunteers basically run the unit, and they do so with some help of military personnel.
As Chief John Bailey stated they are the ones who usually pull people out of the fires instead of helping aid their wounds and taking care of the patients. He also goes on to say that his favorite part of the volunteering is not seeing the people come back because he knows they are better and going to survive.
I bleive that this article is very well written and explanatory. It talks about the volunteers and how they helped in such a way, that without them it would be impossible to operate the Burn Unit. The way they responded to the two little girls was amazing and how they worked so well together to get the tast accomplished amazes me. The volunteers do the bulk of the work and I commend them for that because it is a hard job that not everyone would take into consideration and risk their own lives everyday.
Previously, the article stated again how much work these volunteers really do, and I agree with him on this statement. The volunteers have to be prepared at all times know what to do for each and every victim or tragedy. I felt that it is very marvelous that these military personnel--Staff Sgt. Kristopher Weaver, Assistant Base Fire Chief John Bailey, Army Staff Sgt. Dusty Gaunt, and Staff Sgt. Ronald Payne, and volunteers--give up their days off to go help, rescue, and care for these victims.
I was suprised when I read this article because I didn't know how many people in the world viewed volunteering as I did, as a chance to show the world that we can stop for a second and help those less fortunate that us. I was suprised because I didn't think many Americans cared anymore. I agree with Dale, the author, when he talks about how great it is to have these people here because in a scenario such as this one, it is great to have all the help you can possibly get, and not everyone is subject to lending a hand when it comes to risking their own lives.
The article also talks about "teaching" being the main focus in their clinic. Staff Sgt. Payne stated that it was 70% if the entire mission. Without teaching, they wouldn't be able to accomplish as much work as they do. It gives them time to free themselves up and work in other areas that are needed and that they otherwise may have never had the chance to. I believe this is a great idea because not only are we now helping take care of victims, we are also teaching the doctors and patients how to care for themselves or others. We are sharing a piece of our medical knowledge with doctors from around the world, giving them a little insight on how to deal with such accidents.
In the end, I think that volunteers are a vital piece of everyday work. Withought them, we would not have the people helping in a time of crisis. Examples of these places that need volunteers include the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Homeless Shelters, and the list can go on. The truth is, without the help of volunteers, none of the above places would function, nor would we get alot of things accomplished.
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