Engineering, Cancer, Family

Purdue is well-known for its engineering programs. In fact, many Indonesians that I know here are in the sciences program. Many of the engineers have been working in the Purdue Center for Cancer Research, and my hopes and prayers are with their efforts.

Illnesses, cancer included, have not only been draining and sucking people's energies and lives, but also draining the energies of the immediate families.
Today a friend of mine told me that a wife our our high school friend passed away because of cancer, leaving her husband with two little kids, shocking her father-in-law so bad that he is treated at the ICU, and leaving the family struggle with the treatment costs.

Another friend have been posting (on Facebook) the news about the daughter of his helper that is at the hospital with dengue. He organizes charity fund for this kid because the parents have to pay a lot of money because the hospital no longer has this system where they "help people" anymore. Everything, my friend said, is just so commercialized that it makes you... sick, really.

And someone I love so dearly just went back home after a month in the hospital. In that month period of time, his family seemed "falling apart" (this was the term used by his daughter). Father was in the hospital, so mother had to be there as well. Daughter and her family had to stay with a relative because by doing so, the relative could take care of the child while mom and dad went to work.

I saw that when an illness was healed, a family was "reunited" as well. So, truly, I appreciate what these engineers have been doing, researching, and producing. Hope all scholars (including myself) find a place to contribute back to the societies, whatever the societies are. It may sound cliche, but really, when I think about it and experience what it means to "contribute" or "give," it just feels amazing.