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A Visitor’s Perspective of Holistic Care
October 28, 2009 by matt
“The whole is more than the sum of its parts.”
-Aristotle
That’s a brilliant dead guy’s way of saying – there’s more to you than just what you’re made of! And, after two weeks of shadowing PLC family advocates, I’m thoroughly convinced that they hold to this maxim in their care of Iraqi children.
Because a child is so much more than a collection of organs and bones – or a diseased heart.
Serious energy, thought, and discussion is put into the pursuit of holistic care, and I’ve seen how much it costs them to go this extra mile. In reality, these surgeries could be mostly facilitated from a comfortable distance with a mocha and a fast computer, but the PLC staff has moved far from friends and family to provide much more than a well-funded medical procedure. They offer heart surgeries that allow for a better, longer life.
But, if you’re like me, you read ‘holistic’ and you’re a little skeptical. It’s an easy word to toss around, but actual application is a much more slippery story. And who can say what is or isn’t a ‘whole’ child? That’s why PLC freely admits that holistic care is an ongoing process. They know they haven’t arrived, but they also know that a 4 hour heart surgery is just one of the many needs an average Iraqi child faces, and they aim to meet them at any cost.
And the results of these lofty endeavors are beautiful. They allow Iraqis to see Americans in a different light, they create good will among local ethnic rivals, they help Muslims reconsider what they’ve been told about Christians, and they show whole families that they matter and God cares for them.
Adhering to this process of holistic care may seem like an inconceivable goal to some, but the bi-product is a peace that most Westerners assume and most Iraqis can’t even fathom.
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Matt Willingham came to Iraq in October 2009 as a supporter and friend of the Preemptive Love Coalition because he wanted to see first hand what the work was all about. When not vacationing in lovely countries like Iraq, Matt and his wife, Cayla, live in Thailand where they live under the patronage of the Royal Princess.... and yes, it really is as cool as it sounds! |
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