It was a warm Thursday morning in July. My Mom had left for work at 7 a.m., while my Dad prepared breakfast. Before the cooking began, he set up the newly furnished kitchen with the cooking items needed. As my Dad was leaning over the sink to clean the previous night’s dishes, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He would always tell us that “dirty dishes make it harder for a professional to cook”. As he stumbled to the living room to catch a breath and a few words, I can still hear the screaming for me to come down. I ran as fast as I could to see what was wrong and he asked for some water. As I came back with the water, my Dad was sitting on the couch clenching his chest.

He stared at me in the most petrified way and I began to cry. I had no idea what to do. As he cried out in agony, words spued out at me, “Go upstairs and get your sister!” I still stood there, motionless as if I did not hear him. I was so scared that if I left to get him, he’d leave me. Quickly I ran up the stairs crying hysterically with words just coming out. I could barely speak and my sister then realized. As she ran down the stairs, I sat at the top of the stairs crying because I have never seen anything so horrific in my life. My sister came down and saw that the diabetes had taken over, and my Daddy died. I was six years old, and I felt so alone.

Now that I am older, and have the option to choose a career, this decision is an easy one for me. I want to help people in the time of need in a way only some can do. I want to be a doctor and save lives so that no one would have to go through what I did. At least doctors can say they tried, I cannot. If I had acted upon instinct, went to get my sister right away, maybe my Dad would still be here. I’m not going to dwell on the past asking the “what if” questions, but one could never tell. Instead I am going to take that horrendous memory and use it to help others.

I miss my Dad dearly and I think about him constantly; his death is the drive I have for succeeding. Whenever I feel like giving up, I think of him, and I try even harder. He has shaped me and driven me to reach my goals; so far I have not failed, and nor do I intend to.

“If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.”- Maya Angelou