Making a Big Difference in Small Moments

One such moment was during a trip to Uganda at the end of my first year in medical school at U of T.  As an ambassador with the children’s charity Right to Play, I was part of a group engaged in directly improving people’s lives.  We visited orphanages and refugee camps where we taught children about healthy, active living through games and sport.

I could not shake the feeling, however, that I was powerless to make a significant impact.  “What can I possibly do?” I kept asking myself.  That all changed in a matter of seconds when I connected with a single little girl in a refugee camp.  Only seven or eight years old, she had been orphaned and burdened with the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings at far too young an age.

This shy girl also suffered from an infection on her arm, because of which she was shunned by many of the other children.  When I met her and reached out for her hand, I realized the true extent of what all of us are capable of doing.  I was probably the first person she had connected with in a long time and the transformation in her was similarly profound.

It was incredible to watch her begin to smile and then join in with the other kids in singing and playing.  Of course all of her problems were not solved in that moment and she continues to face struggles that we in Canada have far too little care to fully understand.  The connection was what mattered and what gave her just a bit more hope and a bit more belief in herself and the world.  This is what has shaped my career.

When I first decided to pursue a medical degree, I had thought that I would be focusing exclusively on sport medicine.  Several special moments since then – including my time in Uganda – challenged me to broaden my focus and think about the role of physical activity in the alleviation of suffering in a more global context.  I want to make many more personal connections through hands-on rehabilitation medicine and truly make a difference in the lives of people who need it most.

St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto recently gave me an opportunity for hands-on action at the local level as well.  With proper walking and running shoes in short supply, I helped put out the call for donations.  The response was astonishing and within a month we had two hundred pairs of shoes in good condition for patients.  It is such a small thing for an individual and even more so a community to donate a pair of old shoes, but has such an immediate and lasting impact on so many lives.

In developing countries around the world, this sort of transformative action – not just donating shoes, but introducing physical literacy – can do even more.   Exercise such as walking and running are accessible and affordable to every human being.  Increased physical activity as both prevention and rehabilitation can be as or more effective than the massive roll-out of fancy new drugs.  I believe in the power of movement.  Exercise and above all play can create the conditions required to improve health and change lives for the better through moments of joy.

I’m excited about my future career in medicine.  It is such a privilege to be a part of people’s lives and see a side of humanity that’s usually reserved for family and friends.  The trust placed in physicians is enormous, but it’s not the doctor alone who has the ability to make a positive change in the world.  We all have the ability to make a big difference and change a life in small special moments. 

Jane Thornton participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics as part of the Canadian Olympic Rowing Team. She will start a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Switzerland this Summer.