Cancer is a growth hormone for empathy, and empathy makes us useful to each other in ways we were not, could not have been, before.
Interpretation
Cancer can enhance our capacity for empathy, enabling us to support one another more effectively than before.
In this quote, Kelly Corrigan suggests that the experience of dealing with cancer can foster a deeper sense of empathy among individuals. This newfound empathy not only helps those suffering from cancer feel less isolated but also cultivates stronger connections and support networks that were previously absent, illustrating the transformative power of shared suffering and compassion.
In practice
During a speech at a cancer awareness event.
We'll bury our mothers and fathers - shuttling our children off for sleepovers, jumping on red-eyes, telling eachother stories that hurt to hear, about gasping, agonal breaths, hospice nurses, scars and bruises and scabs, and how skin papers shortly after a person passes. We will nod in agreement that it is as much an honor to witness a person leave this world as it is to watch a person come into it.
When it comes to health care policy, we keep failing to take seriously the value of human relationships. The cost of this oversight is staggering.
The health care industry can play a great role in this by being aware of the fact that these children form perhaps the most neglected group of people in the country, largely because it is hard to find them.
A wise man ought to realize that health is his most valuable possession.
We will not solve the addiction problem in America if we don't address social connection.
When food prices surge, poor families suddenly find themselves unable to afford enough nutritious food. If this happens during the first thousand days of a child's life, the damage to his or her body and mind can be permanent.
I use music in the operating room to help create a healing environment for patients and staff. There is a reason that certain heart rates are healthy and certain beats of music heal and relax us.
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