A heritage in medical profession

I have a nephew, that is, my sister's son. He has been to our parents' home quite often with his mother. I used to take a walk with him in his babyhood on a stroller. It was when I was preparing for the entrance exam for med university around 1970.   

As depicted before, our aunt has brought the tradition of involvement in medical service into our family before WWII together with belief in Christianity. She had managed a small sanatorium for poor people with tuberculosis, destined to death at that time, at this place that we are living now around WWII. Without effective antibiotis, most patients were only waiting for death. In her autobiography, there came a scene where a patient in agony about to die asking her how long it would take before dying, which was a shock to me. 

Nevertheless, it was a peacful place. Most of the patients were in faith in Christianity. Every morning and evening, there were some people singing hymn acapella together. Their song coming through pine trees was one of the earliest memories for me. I might have told this memory in a previous post. I am still grateful to have spent such a time in the youngest days of my life.

At the sanatorium in 1953. I was before my father in the front raw. There were fewer patients by this time. and this facility, very poor and simple, was closed in a year or two. 

 

Our aunt and mother used to work as nurses at it. My mother had been working throughout her life as a nurse since we moved to Tokyo. When she died 12 years ago, she was put on with a nurse uniform at her funeral. She looked so vivid at work anytime, I remeber. It must have been a real calling for her.

My sister has taken over nursing for her profession and has spent years with patients as well. Now retired.

It was late last year when I received a news from a nephew that his daughter was going to be enrolled in a nursing university. I have heard she used to be hospitalized for a trauma for sometime several years ago and, seeing how nurses could be of help to patients, she wanted to be nurse. I thought it might had been only a kind of dream in childhood. But she has made it. 

Nursing is a kind of hard work. Doing with dying people or working through night at the inpatient ward etc. But it is worth working as a nurse. Nursing is the work to encourage patients and to stay side to them when they need her. I don't think she has chosen this profession to go after the others in our family but she might just find it deserves working as a nurse. Even without being conscious of that, she is still in the passage of heritage in medical service. I could not help feeling something beyond our intentions or thoughts.

   

One of her photos taken last year in a trip to Kansai.

I am not intending to brag this girl or our family at all. I am just pleased to have her going to be engaged in medical profession. Her great grandmother must be also pleased to know that in heaven.