My indirect encounter with David Suzuki : Tiny Bites

My indirect encounter with David Suzuki

1 Comment Karen HamiltonJuly 26, 2008

This is Blogathon post #19 of 48 in support of the David Suzuki Foundation

Fast forward a few years from my first encounter with Dr. Suzuki. At the time, I was in the Biochemistry program at SFU, with high hopes of working with alternative energy or fuel cell research upon graduation. (My senior biology teacher dashed my hopes of my becoming a marine biologist. Sigh.)

One day, I woke up with a sore back that slowly progressed into an excruciating seizing of my entire lower back. Unable to move, my family called an ambulance to get me checked out at the nearest hospital.

It turned out to be a kidney infection that was easily rectified by the anti-biotics that the hospital proscribed. But in the ambulance ride over, I thought I was going to die. The pain flared with every flinch.

The paramedic sitting by me was very supportive. He distracted me with tales from his life and asked me questions about mine. In telling him about my career path, I happened to mention that Dr. Suzuki was my role model. And in a curious happenstance of “small-world” syndrome, it turned out that my paramedic was close friends with Dr. Suzuki!

He regaled me with little anecdotes and advice on how to get in touch with Dr. Suzuki without getting tongue-tied (yes, I told him the story as well). This chat got me through the terror of the situation I was in and renewed my faith in my career choice. I finished off that semester without further kidney incidents and a fantastic mark in my Organic Chemistry lab.

Categories: Blogging for Social Change, Food, Miscellany