Present essay addresses my personal story of coping with relative’s illness, which happened almost 2 years ago. There is no denying the importance of the fact, that health is one of the most crucial factors in human life, because it may positively or negatively affect life perspectives, educational and professional success. Health is usually defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 2006).
As far as family relations are concerned, the problem of health becomes even more important, because the illness of a relative negatively affects psychological climate in a family, its adaptivity to changing social conditions and ability to overcome existing challenges. In this way, coping with relative’s illness should be regarded as the central concern of any family. All this immediately relates to the relative’s illness in my family. Two years ago my grandmother suffered pneumonia, which she apparently got due to prolonged effect of cold weather. The implications of this decease were immediately seen in grandmother’s deteriorating health.
The causes thereof were not understood until my parents consulted the physician, who defined the diagnosis of my grandmother. She was immediately placed to the hospital for the medical treatment. The illness of my grandmother negatively affected the psychological climate in my family. My parents were so frustrated by this situation that they had difficulties with fulfilling their normal responsibilities and jobs. The example of my parents was very telling for me, because they showed that the health of close relatives is the most important thing in this life, more important than personal career success, money and fame.
My parents responded to grandmother’s illness very effectively. They spent much time in hospital, bought all necessary medication, products and other things, needed for the effective treatment. The friends of my family were also very kind and helped my relatives by advice and warm words. The friends of my grandmother regularly visited her, when she was in the hospital and spent time, reassuring her and telling interesting and funny stories.
There is no denying the importance of the fact, that the abovementioned actions of my relatives and family friends were as much important for the health recovery of my grandmother as medical treatment itself. It is obvious that medical treatment alone is not a sufficient tool for rehabilitation. A person to become healthy should experience psychological and emotional support of his/her relatives. If the latter is absent, a person would feel lonely, abandoned and having no life prospects. My response to the illness of the grandmother was also motivated by warm relative feelings of compassion and help.
I understood that my study and home assignments are secondary things if my grandmother is ill. I spent much time in the hospital with her speaking on different subjects, telling funny stories and helping to do various things. As far as my parents did not always have a possibility to spend their time in the hospital due to intense working agenda, I was the only person, who was always ready to help in quotidian issues. Family support helped my grandmother eventually recover from the illness and she was very grateful for this support. I am sure that the feeling of our support was the major stimulus for her recovery.
There is no denying the importance of the fact, that in the case of other relatives’ illness my grandmother would be the first to help. To sum it up, relatives’ illness is a great challenge to a family, which should be met by each of its members. Health and family are extremely interrelated, because close relations between family members are the main prerequisite for successful struggle against any illness. References World Health Organization (October 2006). Constitution of the World Health Organization: Basic Documents, Forty-fifth edition, Supplement.