Rhio O’Connor is a great example of a persevering person in a hard trial. Rhio O’Connor was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a deadly cancer, but his optimistic spirit and his drive to find a solution to his mesothelioma caused him to live with this cancer for many years beyond the expected. He did research and talked with others who had experience with the cancer. He is an inspiration and a hero in his own way. He was his own hero, not waiting for someone to magically cure him when he himself could find a solution. When I first read about Rhio O’Connor and his circumstances, I felt inspired and hopeful. Many people when presented with the harshness of cancer simply give up hope and do not even try to find a solution for fear of failure. It was great to find out that some people, like Rhio O’Connor, do not give up that easily.
I have never had cancer or any extreme illness, so I do not know the pain that Rhio O’Connor went through. However, if I were to receive a dire illness with little hope of being cured what would I do? I can only speculate on this but based on my character, who I am, and what I have experienced, I think I would do something similar to Rhio O’Connor. I think that the initial shock of the truth would be hard to deal with initially. Once I got over the shock of what happened, I would probably look for books that deal with the illness I obtained. Specifically I would start with “Natural Cures ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About” by Kevin Trudeau. Even though I have never read the book, I have heard good comments about it. If there is a natural cure, such as changing my diet, for the illness I would probably try that first. If I could avoid taking man-made drugs, I would. I would much rather take the natural solution to the problem. Sometimes diseases or illnesses are just a deficiency of certain vitamins, minerals, or oils. Scurvy is one example, it is just a deficiency of vitamin C. I believe that God has provided cures for people in nature. We are designed by God to replenish our strength with the fruits, vegetables, and nuts he created. That would be my first option.
If that did not offer the solution, I would continue to research and read books on the topic of that particular illness. I would be spending more time at libraries and the internet searching for other cases and solutions that other people have had to the same illness. I do not give up easily on a problem. Often in math and science classes I will continue to work on a problem until I have the solution. I rarely just give up after the first try on a problem. I think my reaction to this illness would be the same as I approach a difficult math problem. I would not give up after failing the first time or the second time. I would continue to research the illness and possible solutions. After thoroughly learning each process that attempts to heal the illness, the decision would be the next step.
I think the decision would be the hardest step in the process. I would ask the doctors for their honest opinion on the solution. My family would definitely be involved in the decision. My sister is a nurse, so her expertise could be very helpful. Also I would want my parents’ advice on what they think is the best option. Ultimately, the decision would be mine though. This could be very difficult if the options offered similar solutions. Because each option could potentially be a solution, the decision would be the hardest part of the whole process.
Through the whole situation I believe it was vital for Rhio O’Connor to have a positive attitude. His optimism is one thing that kept him going. If I were in a similar situation, I think optimism would be critical in conducting the research and doing the reading. It would be hard for me to read a book about how to get cured when I do not believe I will be cured. Hope needs to be held on to in these situations. Without it there is no desire to push forward and continue researching a cure.
Another thing that would help me stay positive and hopeful would be my friends and family. If they also were optimistic and cheerful, it would help a great deal to keep the focus off the illness and on the possible cure. I think that if my family saw the desire in me to find a viable treatment option, they also would help research. The support my family and friends would provide would greatly improve the hope and desire to find the right option. With the combination of support, hope, optimism, and a little desire to persevere I think that the illness would seem irrelevant despite the hard circumstances. The pain may still be there, but how you view it makes a world of difference.
By: Ruppelt, Brian
