Preview

Passionate About Compassion

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1329 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Passionate About Compassion
"Passionate about Compassion" How many people see someone that desperately needs the helping hands of others, then actually acts upon it? It’s much easier to wish that you could help someone in need, then truly take the necessary action to assist. However, in the two articles, “Manchester Couple to Retire to Ghana, Where They’ll Care for Children” by Adam Sawamura, and “Improbable Family Tie: Iraqi Boy, Former GI” by Carrie Antlfinger, the main characters all display the ultimate form of compassion humanly possible. Compassion is defined from the Webster’s New World Dictionary as, “sorrow for the suffering or trouble of another or others, accompanied by an urge to help.” The Boisverts display compassion by spending their retirement helping …show more content…
Southworth feels a sense of empowerment to rescue Ala from his best case scenario, “that he would stare at a blank wall for the rest of his life.” The article refers to Southworth’s goals at home to be a district attorney, with the primary goal in mind to be, “tough on criminals who committed injustices against children.” This shows that Southworth had already developed a sense of compassion for children before deploying to Baghdad. Although Iraqi law prohibites from adopting Iraqi children, Southworth’s motivation and compassion drives him to overcome the daunting obstacles that would soon follow, to hopefully one day adopt Ala, and be able to legally call him …show more content…
At the age of nine Ala weighed only fifty five pounds and lived in a crowed orphanage with about twenty kinds with physical or mental disabilities. Once arriving in Wisconsin, Ala’s health greatly improved, he surpassed the amount of times he had seen a doctor in all his time in Iraq while only being in the United States for six months. Ala had now been privileged, thanks to Southworth, to receive physical therapy to help control his head and other muscles. Now only after four years, at the age of thirteen he’s doubled his weight to a hundred and eleven pounds. Southworth says, “we crossed political boundaries. We crossed religious boundaries. There was a massive effort – all on behalf of this little boy who desperately needed people to actually take some action and not just feel sorry for him.” Southworth’s story truly defines the meaning of compassion. He not only felt sorry for, and had an urge to help Ala, but rather he acted on his feelings and did everything with in his power to provide Ala a healthier and safer life than he ever experienced

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Willowbrook Reflections

    • 304 Words
    • 1 Page

    People born with intellectual disabilities and/or special needs have always been a sensitive topic in society for as long as I can remember. I grew up with a friend with Cerebral Palsy and have known people with Down syndrome, and I know the burden both the individual and families carry. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York and have lived here all my life; and I have never heard of “Willowbrook the institution”. This film left me with many emotions: anger, sadness, concerned and most of all wary.…

    • 304 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Instead of just stopping at one account of the Syrian crisis, Phillips continued to give multiple examples, delving deeper into the issue at hand rather than only scratching the surface. First introduced is the account of a father who traversed wilderness for three months just to get his children to safety, showing hardships refugees face. Additionally, later in the article, Phillips uses another refugee’s account which paints the camps similar to prison. They state, “ ‘It is our prison!’ says Mohammad, a teenager from Aleppo outside Kilis camp, ‘The guards treat us badly and life is too expensive,” (para. 13). This continues to drive forward the author’s point of what the cost of sanctuary is. The quote itself gives readers a glimpse into the life of another and the consequences the actions of many can have on a population. With the different points of view, readers have a more dynamic view of the problem at…

    • 1274 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sam’s story shines a light on the reality that life can change in a split-second. While we all suffer hardships in our lives, special people like Sam Alexander are perfect examples of how tenacity and hope can overcome even the most devastating circumstances. After exploring Sam’s life, I now realize that Sam was never an ordinary man, but an extraordinary man who had yet to be…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the passionate essay, “On Compassion,” by the respected Barbara Lazear Ascher, the author convincingly depicts her view towards how she feels about why people show compassion. Ascher’s purpose is to demonstrate to the reader the different classes of society and allow the reader to think about how people may appear compassionate but naturally have a fear that causes them to carry out compassionate acts. The author effectively and steadfastly builds the essay by utilizing an observant and speculative tone, a series of figurative language and an emotional appeal in order to convey her outlook towards the homeless and compassion.…

    • 211 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Stephen Kumalo’s compassion for the people of his village allows him to overcome his fears of their judgement. After all that had occurred in Johannesburg Kumalo feared going to and remaining in the village of Ndotsheni with his even more broken family. For he had a son that was to be put to death for his crime, a sister that was ready to come home to Ndotsheni with him but when it was the day of the departure, was nowhere to be found. In addition to his now motherless nephew and his pregnant daughter-in-law. For Kumalo had much fear of what the people in his village would say of and about him for, “many people know him, and he is afraid of their questions” (p.254). However, Kumalo had compassion for the people of his suffering village and…

    • 191 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Eng4c lesson 3

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The author thinks that more can be done. If people had done their jobs better this little boy might still be alive. He wouldn’t have had to suffer the torture he did through his five years on earth. They think that more changes can be made by child services to ensure that this never happens to another child again.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The experiences we go through in life shape us, be it wonderful or horrid, but how you look at it shows what kind of person you turned out to be. August Pullman is a ten year old kid with a condition called Treacher Collins Syndrome, in which the bones and tissues in his face aren’t developed. After being in a hospital and home schooled almost his entire life, he attends Beecher Prep, a normal school. He faces hardships throughout the year that test his limits. By the end of the year, his time at Beecher Prep had negatively impacted his life when he was bullied, stared at, avoided, and mostly alone on his journey.…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    . . in each case they come up to me and say ‘we are here to serve.’ They have this angelic look on their face and want to be of help, but the first thing they ask is ‘where can we eat, sleep . . .’ and I say, ‘you know we are in the middle of a major disaster, right?’ I mean, I wanted to appreciate their offer, but they only added to my problems. I needed people and supplies, not people to take care of, as I already had that.” (Fischer, Gregoire, Scala, Letukas, Mellon, Romine & Turner, 2006)…

    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Singer argues his solution by appealing strongly to pathos, or emotion. He tries to make readers feel guilty, by saying that they are literally killing children overseas by spending money on “…things not essential to the preservation of our lives and health”, which he considers luxuries. (Singer) He…

    • 551 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Compassion. Hidden agenda. The difference. City dweller Barbara Lazear Ascher, in her essay “On Compassion,” recalls in her own words, “a couple of brief encounters with homeless people”. While maintaining a critical tone, Ascher utilizes an anecdote, a personal experience, and appeals to her audience’s ethical values as strategies to fulfill her purpose. Ascher effectively achieves her purpose to convince her audience, people inhabiting cities, there is a lack of compassion when concerning the homeless.…

    • 855 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Staudinger article, “A Psychology of Wisdom: History and Recent Developments,” she discuses the basis on how most people characterize a wise individual in psychology and what people can gain from being or becoming wise. According to Staudinger, historically some people would consider a wise individual to be someone who possessed natural born intelligence/common sense or an older person who gained wisdom through years of experience. Common sense means practical or wise judgments.…

    • 607 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Sheppard-Towner Act

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Nation’s attention was being caught by a series of stunning news reports depicting the most tragic consequences of child maltreatment. In this chapter, partially, we…

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Compassion Fatigue

    • 1480 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Compassion fatigue is an exhaustion that affects people who meet and accompany patients or attend to people whose history is marked by suffering. Listening day after day to dramatic stories tends to exhaust vital energy of a human being and also causes physical, psychological and emotional disturbance (Reese, 2009). Compassion fatigue affects people who frequently listen to the stories of individuals who have experienced difficult situations or traumatic experiences. Compassion fatigue generally afflicts therapists, medical personnel, human resource officers, social workers, teachers and individuals who attend to patients with disability (Orosco, 2011). The paper discusses various aspects of caregiver compassion and identifies warning signs for the condition, the nature of the problems and their causes. Physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the caregiver are also evaluated to identify coping strategies and resources to help the caregiver.…

    • 1480 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are relationships that are developed between nursing and patients throughout the course of treatment. When patients die, nurses tend to experience an overwhelming sense of grief and loss. A survey was designed for nurses who worked in a magnet designed hospital in the northeastern United States. It was stated that most nurses ignore their feelings which can lead to physical, emotions, and spiritual exhaustion. This article was based on interventions for oncology nurses to recognize and combat the chronic grief and compassion fatigue. There were interventions developed to allow time and opportunities for grieving that involved remembrance ceremonies. The…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    When thinking about the United States I feel that we the people are lacking compassion and even I can be guilty of this at times. We’re not all perfect but we should always remember to have compassion. With compassion we can come together to love everyone equally, help each other, and spread more happiness around our country.…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics