Maryam's secret | Saideh Ghods | TEDxKish
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0:06 - 0:08The day that changed my destiny
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0:08 - 0:12was an ordinary day, like all others.
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0:15 - 0:19One of those cold winter nights
when all you want to do, -
0:19 - 0:24is to make a cup of tea,
pick up a good novel, sit on the couch, -
0:24 - 0:27next to the fireplace and enjoy life.
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0:27 - 0:29But I had to go to work.
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0:32 - 0:34More importantly, in the afternoon,
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0:34 - 0:39I had to take my 2-year-old
to her routine checkup. -
0:39 - 0:42The next day was her second birthday,
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0:43 - 0:46But that day was not a normal day,
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0:46 - 0:49and that checkup was not a routine one.
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0:49 - 0:52At 5 am the next morning,
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0:53 - 0:58I was standing in behind the doors
of the hospital operating room. -
0:58 - 1:01From the small window,
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1:02 - 1:07I was watching the heated debate
amongst the physicians -
1:07 - 1:10over what they should do.
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1:10 - 1:14My little girl, was laying on the bed,
under anesthesia. -
1:14 - 1:18No one had told me anything since 6 pm,
the day before about what had happened. -
1:18 - 1:22With all my questions, all my anxiety,
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1:24 - 1:28I could clearly see from their faces
that something is very wrong. -
1:28 - 1:33No one would tell me anything more
than what they thought I needed to know. -
1:33 - 1:37It was my right to know,
but they did not give me that. -
1:37 - 1:41I felt anger on top of all
that was going on. -
1:42 - 1:46I had no choice but to stand there.
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1:46 - 1:48I had done all the yelling and screaming.
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1:48 - 1:50I had told them I didn't believe them.
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1:50 - 1:53I had told them I won't let anyone
touch my little girl, -
1:53 - 1:56I won't let anyone operate
on my two year old child, -
1:56 - 2:02that I'd fly this very night
to another place that had better resources -
2:02 - 2:06so they could tell me without surgery
what was wrong. -
2:06 - 2:11But they told me
that every minute counts now. -
2:11 - 2:16So I had to stand there,
quietly, patiently. -
2:16 - 2:19That was nearly impossible.
-
2:19 - 2:23You all know that look on the face
of someone about to deliver bad news. -
2:23 - 2:26Seeing that face, you won't wait for news,
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2:26 - 2:29your whole world begins to spin.
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2:29 - 2:31For me, that bad news was like a tsunami.
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2:31 - 2:37All my life, future plans,
happiness, comfort, -
2:38 - 2:44feeling of serendipity, everything
was washed away by this tsunami. -
2:45 - 2:50It took me a long time to realize
that bad news is not bad in essence. -
2:50 - 2:53It takes time to discover
whether the news is good or bad. -
2:53 - 2:55But on that day,
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2:58 - 3:02that news was a very bad one for me.
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3:02 - 3:05It paralyzed me from making a decision.
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3:06 - 3:10A relentless anger burned inside me
as strong as a dragon. -
3:11 - 3:15Why? Why my little angel? Why me?
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3:16 - 3:19What have I done to deserve this?
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3:19 - 3:22For my little girl to have cancer? Cancer?
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3:22 - 3:25My 2 year old, on the eve of her birthday.
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3:26 - 3:31In life, we all face unbelievable moments,
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3:32 - 3:38unbelievable events when we know
we have no choice but to surrender. -
3:40 - 3:43We immediately started treatment
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3:44 - 3:46because in the doctors' opinion,
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3:46 - 3:50one displaced cancerous cell
could change everything -
3:50 - 3:53and treatment needed to start right away.
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3:53 - 3:57After a week of going back and forth
to the hospital where she was, -
3:57 - 4:01because of the long distance
and Tehran's bad traffic, -
4:01 - 4:06and the friendship of the medical team,
who were family friends, -
4:06 - 4:10my daughter was transferred
to the Shohada Hospital in Tajrish Sq., -
4:10 - 4:12closer to my home.
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4:13 - 4:18I assumed all this will make things
a bit easier but the first day -
4:18 - 4:24I entered the new hospital I realized how
small I was in the grand scheme of things. -
4:27 - 4:30I didn't feel any less angry
but in that moment, -
4:30 - 4:33I realized that for 30 years,
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4:33 - 4:36I had walked by the tall and cold walls
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4:36 - 4:40of that place an never once thought
about what went on inside. -
4:40 - 4:45All desperate people sitting in there,
all the people waiting for something. -
4:45 - 4:51I'd passed by these walls
on my way to university or elsewhere, -
4:51 - 4:55not thinking of the mass of people
spending impossible moments -
4:55 - 4:58on the other side.
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4:58 - 5:01How come I had never stepped
foot into this place? -
5:01 - 5:04What could I do now? Nothing!
I was there for my own child. -
5:04 - 5:07I was desperate with my own problem.
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5:07 - 5:08I couldn't do anything.
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5:09 - 5:11So, we continued the treatment.
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5:14 - 5:18The cold winter days passed.
Norouz celebration arrived. -
5:18 - 5:21Norouz which bore so much meaning
for everyone else, -
5:21 - 5:23was meaningless to me.
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5:23 - 5:27In fact, I felt upset that everyone thinks
all is well and joyous, -
5:27 - 5:31celebrating the arrival of spring,
with all colorful customs of the New Year. -
5:31 - 5:33Time had stopped for me.
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5:33 - 5:36Nothing else, not my family,
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5:36 - 5:39not my other child existed for me.
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5:40 - 5:43The holidays passed.
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5:43 - 5:47The day after I had to go back
to the hospital, -
5:47 - 5:52to review the plans
for second rounds of chemo, -
5:53 - 5:54and there...
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5:55 - 6:00I saw Maryam, one of the mothers
who I'd always noticed. -
6:00 - 6:03She is a middle aged woman,
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6:03 - 6:06with a face showing signs of starvation,
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6:06 - 6:10with shabby clothes, but... dignified.
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6:11 - 6:17She had a 13 year old boy
that was always barefoot on her shoulder. -
6:18 - 6:20We had come and gone before Norouz.
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6:20 - 6:25This time too I saw her going in,
carrying a bundle of herbs, -
6:25 - 6:29a bouquet of flowers and her son.
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6:31 - 6:34I quickly nodded and passed by her.
That's it. -
6:34 - 6:37I wasn't even polite enough
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6:37 - 6:40to wish her happy New year.
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6:40 - 6:45I passed her as I did not want to spend
even one extra minute in that place. -
6:46 - 6:50As I walked a few steps past,
she called to me. -
6:50 - 6:52I thought, oh gosh,
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6:52 - 6:54I bet she wants to wish me
happy New year... -
6:54 - 6:57Happy New year to yourself.
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6:57 - 6:59I don't think it's happy at all.
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6:59 - 7:02Or, she's trying to get ahead of me.
So I ignored her and kept wlaking. -
7:02 - 7:04She called again.
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7:04 - 7:07I thought, ok, now I'll turn around
and tell her, -
7:07 - 7:09"You know what dear, I'm very busy today.
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7:09 - 7:12I have to go, sorry,
I can't stop and chat." -
7:12 - 7:14So... I turned around.
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7:16 - 7:20I turned and saw face
glowing like the moon, -
7:22 - 7:25two eyes full of sunshine.
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7:31 - 7:34(Applause)
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7:42 - 7:46A bouquet of wildflowers, lilies, tulips,
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7:46 - 7:52narcissus, all shades of purple and red,
and green in front of me. -
7:53 - 7:57Then she said: "I picked these
from Turkmen Sahra, -
7:57 - 8:00I prayed that I'd see you,
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8:00 - 8:03I wanted to tell you, God is great.
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8:03 - 8:05Why are you so restless?
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8:05 - 8:09Be calm, this too will pass
it will all pass. -
8:10 - 8:16I apologize for getting emotional,
though it's been some twenty years now. -
8:18 - 8:24It is because in that moment all my pulses
stopped, everything stopped. -
8:26 - 8:30Even my heart, I think even my heart,
stopped beating for a few seconds. -
8:30 - 8:33I thought what am I to do now?
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8:34 - 8:36Did I really ignore this woman?
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8:36 - 8:40Was I really going talk
to her in that way? -
8:40 - 8:42What was I thinking? Who am I?
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8:42 - 8:45Who am I? Who is this? Who am I?
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8:45 - 8:47And in those moments...
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8:48 - 8:54Seeing my struggle, she placed the flowers
on my daughter's lap in the stroller, -
8:54 - 8:57on her skirt, and went away.
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9:03 - 9:07I remained there, with a light
that suddenly lit up inside me. -
9:07 - 9:09And I saw myself from Maryam's eyes.
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9:09 - 9:15I saw an angry, entitled woman who always
has a reason to be dissatisfied, -
9:17 - 9:19who thinks that she's different,
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9:20 - 9:25who is now squatting in the corner
of her cold, dark, lonely cave. -
9:25 - 9:29Why? Because I had pushed away my friends.
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9:29 - 9:32Because I hated being the subject of pity.
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9:33 - 9:37I had stopped my family
because they had all kinds of suggestions, -
9:37 - 9:40each one saying something different:
do this, do that. -
9:40 - 9:42I had told everyone I didn't want them,
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9:42 - 9:45that I want to focus all my energy
on this child, -
9:45 - 9:47receiving multiple CCs
of poison every day, -
9:47 - 9:50whose veins are burning, who is screaming,
"I'm burning, I'm burning!" -
9:50 - 9:54None of you know what you're talking
about, I don't want your advice. -
9:54 - 9:56I had pushed away her doctors.
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9:56 - 9:58They did their job of course,
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9:58 - 10:02but they knew I didn't believe in them.
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10:03 - 10:07I looked and saw myself
in the corner of the cave, sitting alone, -
10:07 - 10:10building thicker walls each day.
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10:15 - 10:18But I could hear
the cracks in the ice too. -
10:18 - 10:21I could hear them breaking down.
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10:21 - 10:23A ray of light shining through the cracks
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10:23 - 10:29was showing me, sitting in the corner,
squatting with my head on my knees. -
10:32 - 10:36I thought... I have no choice,
but to go forward, -
10:36 - 10:38to pick myself off the ground and say,
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10:38 - 10:41"Get up Saideh, get up!
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10:42 - 10:45Come to your senses!
Watch Maryam! -
10:45 - 10:49She has a thousandth of your resources,
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10:52 - 10:54she gives what little is in her power.
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10:54 - 10:58She has picked these flowers for you,
from the other side of the world. -
10:58 - 11:03Who are you? Be the kind of person
that is worthy of this love, -
11:03 - 11:04Learn something!"
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11:04 - 11:07In those moments of awareness,
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11:08 - 11:12I believe I subconsciously
made a promise to myself -
11:12 - 11:16that from that day forth,
I would seek to learn -
11:16 - 11:22Maryam and the Maryams of the world,
and dedicate my life to serving them. -
11:25 - 11:27I wasn't fully aware of the promise.
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11:27 - 11:29It was just a fire
that Maryam had lit inside me. -
11:29 - 11:31This woman had 4 children.
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11:31 - 11:36She worked in the rice paddies
in the north of Iran. -
11:36 - 11:37And...
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11:38 - 11:40her husband had died in the war.
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11:42 - 11:46And since this was the period
right after the war in Iran, -
11:46 - 11:51due to resource scarcity,
the priority of the healthcare system -
11:52 - 11:55was saving soldiers and their families,
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11:57 - 11:59but not a child with cancer.
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12:01 - 12:04Because the understanding back then,
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12:05 - 12:10we're talking some 20 years ago, was:
a child with cancer will eventually die. -
12:10 - 12:15In those days, the only people fighting
for them were their mothers. -
12:15 - 12:19A mother, if her child is a month old,
and is lost in the depth of the ocean, -
12:19 - 12:21she will dive in to save her,
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12:21 - 12:24because she'd still have hope
that she can save her child. -
12:24 - 12:26So, it was the mothers who were fighting.
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12:26 - 12:29Maryam was one of those mothers.
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12:29 - 12:32She was carrying her 13 year old child
on her shoulders, -
12:32 - 12:33to Tehran to get treated.
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12:35 - 12:38I had made a promise to myself.
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12:38 - 12:41The first was to learn from Maryam.
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12:41 - 12:46Maryam's secret is something
all of us in this place need. -
12:46 - 12:49Live without expectation,
love without expectation. -
12:50 - 12:52Give without expectation.
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12:52 - 12:54Her only expectation was of herself.
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12:54 - 12:57Everything she wanted,
she wanted it of herself. -
12:57 - 13:02This trait was so powerful in this woman
that she filled her surrounding -
13:03 - 13:09with her energy and made an impact,
as she had changed my world. -
13:13 - 13:18The second part of my promise
was to live a life of service to them. -
13:18 - 13:19As I took the first steps,
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13:19 - 13:21naturally there was the perception,
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13:21 - 13:24"Pfff...a child with cancer...
in this country... -
13:24 - 13:25such expensive medicine."
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13:25 - 13:29This, that, and the other thing,
"Why would anyone bother?" -
13:29 - 13:32The officials would dismiss me saying,
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13:32 - 13:36"Go home lady, children with cancer
are a lost cause." -
13:37 - 13:42But I was compelled,
not through my own willpower, -
13:42 - 13:46but emboldened by the fire
that Maryam has lit inside me. -
13:46 - 13:49There was no room for second thoughts.
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13:49 - 13:52So I kept going, my going was first steps.
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13:55 - 13:58And then, it was help pouring in
from all sides. -
13:58 - 14:00You, sitting in this audience,
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14:01 - 14:02I am certain
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14:03 - 14:05that you are the same helpers,
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14:06 - 14:07at least 80-90% of you are,
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14:07 - 14:10people who have helped us on this path.
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14:11 - 14:13What was the result?
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14:13 - 14:16The result is that today, in homeland,
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14:17 - 14:20no child with cancer will die of poverty.
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14:22 - 14:24(Applause)
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14:35 - 14:39If you allow me to continue,
you will like hearing the rest even more. -
14:40 - 14:43Because you are applauding yourself,
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14:45 - 14:48and the people who created a miracle,
by trusting each other and joining force. -
14:48 - 14:51What happened is that no father
had to stand ashamed anymore -
14:51 - 14:57at the pharmacy counter
because he has no money for the medicine. -
14:57 - 15:02No mother had to crawl in the dark cave
because she didn't know what has happened -
15:02 - 15:06and couldn't accept
what those around her told her. -
15:06 - 15:10Because, now, there is an organization
of this scale supporting them. -
15:10 - 15:14They have access to many volunteer,
professional psychologists, -
15:14 - 15:17who teach them how to cope
with these problems. -
15:17 - 15:22Their other children,
the sisters and brothers, -
15:22 - 15:24don't have to miss school anymore
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15:24 - 15:28because their parents can continue
their normal lives, -
15:28 - 15:30while solving this problem.
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15:30 - 15:33You have made all of this possible.
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15:34 - 15:37This is what I wanted to share with you.
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15:38 - 15:42In going through this journey
I have discovered an absolute truth: -
15:45 - 15:49Within every human being,
without exception, -
15:50 - 15:53there is a seed of a miracle.
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15:57 - 16:00Some due to circumstances...
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16:01 - 16:05Some spend their life
in complete ignorance like I was. -
16:07 - 16:09In that world that they're in,
they have no time, -
16:09 - 16:12no opportunity to pay attention
to this seed. -
16:12 - 16:14We can't blame them.
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16:15 - 16:19Life happened for me this way,
so I followed this path. -
16:19 - 16:22My genes, my upbringing,
my family, all of it. -
16:22 - 16:26I didn't even know the seed existed,
so I had no way to look for it. -
16:26 - 16:29Until life slapped me awake.
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16:30 - 16:34But some people are seeking it,
and seeking... -
16:34 - 16:36I, instead of...
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16:38 - 16:41instead of regret, sadness, and self-pity,
-
16:41 - 16:45which is a habit incrusted in us,
and we all have to feel sorry for it. -
16:45 - 16:48From morning to night
and from night to morning -
16:48 - 16:53we blame everyone for everything
that has happened to us except ourselves. -
16:53 - 16:56Instead of why,
maybe the better question is: -
16:58 - 17:02How shall we get out of this situation?
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17:02 - 17:06What are the ways out of this problem?
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17:06 - 17:09The hardest steps are the first steps.
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17:11 - 17:15If we take them,
the universe will push us forward. -
17:15 - 17:19The universe is searching for those
who want to create change. -
17:20 - 17:22You can see this in your life.
-
17:22 - 17:26This has nothing to do
with university or wealth. -
17:26 - 17:30This has everything to do
with a seeking mind. -
17:30 - 17:34A mind that does not surrender
to obstacles, -
17:34 - 17:37a mind that searches for a solution.
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17:37 - 17:41Once that has happened,
there is no stopping it. -
17:41 - 17:47You will see that you will also become
one of miracle workers of the world. -
17:47 - 17:50The only question
that we must ask today is: -
17:50 - 17:52What will be my miracle?
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17:52 - 17:53Thank you.
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17:53 - 17:54(Applause)
- Title:
- Maryam's secret | Saideh Ghods | TEDxKish
- Description:
-
Every one of us can be a miracle worker if we ask ourselves one key question. In this inspiring talk, author, and social entrepreneur, Saideh Ghods shares the story of a pivotal moment in her life that led to the founding of Mahak Children's Hospital in Iran and reveals the secret to living a life of impact.
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences.
- Video Language:
- Persian
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 18:04
Ivana Korom approved English subtitles for Maryam's secret | Saideh Ghods | TEDxKish | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for Maryam's secret | Saideh Ghods | TEDxKish | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for Maryam's secret | Saideh Ghods | TEDxKish | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for Maryam's secret | Saideh Ghods | TEDxKish | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for Maryam's secret | Saideh Ghods | TEDxKish | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for Maryam's secret | Saideh Ghods | TEDxKish | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for Maryam's secret | Saideh Ghods | TEDxKish | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for Maryam's secret | Saideh Ghods | TEDxKish |