I've always had an ambition to learn and peruse a career in healthcare so I can help those who can't help themselves. When I was younger around the age of 11, My mother was rushed into the emergency room due to kidney failure. I was so confused by all of this medical terminology that was thrown at me and my father. I couldn't explain to my mother what was wrong with her, I couldn't give her reassurance of anything. The hospital didn't have anyone within that week to help us translate what was going on and it started a journey of attempting learn and understand these terms. My father isn't fluent in English, It made it more difficult for me but with picking up a book from the local library within that week and a dictionary.. I was able to finally explain to my mom thoroughly what was going on. It seems like a small thing like translation isn't much of an issue but just having that little thing adjusted, opens a lot of opportunities to diagnose a patient quickly and efficiently. Before my mother had gone in for kidney failure, The hospital had taken her in a week prior and diagnosed her with a mild fever. My mother voiced her concerns but only so little was understood which resulted with not much done for her. The hospital also didn't have anyone at all in the whole hospital to help her out. I wasn't able to go with her due to having to attend school. She didn't want to burden me with more stuff as I also translated majority of the stuff at home including school assignments when I needed help, Legal documents that came through the mail and bills. I had translated everything under the sun except for any medical paperwork. It was all so new to me.. I remember having to read out my mother's diagnosis and flipping through pages to find the right words. Communicating with my mother and getting a family history also opened up many doors to understand what was happening which the hospital couldn't retrieve at first. It gave us the missing pieces for her diagnosis. After that I remember a nurse approaching me and thanking me for my help.. That inspired me to get involved into the medical field, I want to use my degree to help those who aren't able to help themselves. I want to be someone patients can approach for help as I didn't have anyone in my darkest times. I want to make a difference in people's lives and just give them reassurance that everything will be okay.

Experiencing a life as an immigrant is different as it is in many cultures, it makes you see things in a different perspective. Growing up, I never understood why my father would ask me to read his letters from the mail or to write down important information while I saw everyone else's parents do it for them. I was always baffled by this until realization hit me when my mother went into kidney failure. Having to translate every medical term and sentence from the doctors to my mom was difficult, I was only 11 and tried my hardest with a dictionary I was lended by the hospital. I felt lost and desperate flipping pages back and forth when the doctors couldn't afford to have an official translator in the hospital as I was the only resort for them at the time. My mother's face of confusion when the doctor's exchanged words with me to funnel out to her in an efficient manner only broke my heart more and explaining the process of Dialysis which she had only heard of once in a blue moon since it was only by a select few she knew in her life. My friends at school would always distance themselves since I had deemed too "serious" when it came to social events when in reality I had my parents in the back of mind. I worried if something happened to them due to their lack of understanding. Writing was a struggle as well since there wasn't much of an opportunity of having a dictionary at times, I would help them fill out everything whether it was legal documents to their medical histories when they needed to stop by the doctor's urgently. You have a sense of responsibility at such a young age you forget what it feels like to have a childhood. My escape was actually reading the medical conditions my mom had and understanding them better. I remember scrambling to the nurses when they'd come into the room to ask questions regarding my mother's well-being. I had projects at the time and I'd have them answer any questions I had in regards to the medical field. It made me feel better to know what was going on even if it meant to spend endless hours going through the books my dad helped check out at the local library. That's why I'm choosing to be in the Medical Field. I want to give reassurance to many non english speakers and to provide the help that we lacked when I was younger. I don't wish that upon anyone to go through what I did and having to explain my mom that the countless procedures she went through could ultimately end in what I would call "eternal sleep". I want to give patients and those who are ill an opportunity to understand rather than just a nod of "okay" when everything is the opposite. I want to provide a healthy environment where they feel comfortable to tell me what's wrong to provide the best of care that's possible under the circumstances. Growing up was definitely a challenge but I'm hoping to even make a difference with a small thing such as translating.