HELP IN A CRISIS
Last Saturday was a really beautiful day. There is nothing more pleasant than walking down a leafy English road; the trees welcoming in their autumnal colours and not a cloud in the sky. It is interesting to see the marked effect that days like this have on the busy people making their way through the streets - they actually smile and acknowledge each other.
I was enjoying a morning walk along such a leafy road with my 86-year-old father. This joy was literally smashed when he tripped up on a loose paving stone and smashed his face into the ground, cutting open his head which bled heavily. To those of you who read my blog you will know how much I love my cell phone, but on this particular morning I had left it at home. Luckily a young guy called Mohammed stopped to help. He was incredibly kind and supportive, immediately phoning for an ambulance - it seemed like forever before the thing actually arrived.
By this time several people had stopped to help, cars pulled up to offer assistance and people brought blankets. This was extremely generous, as my father was still bleeding. The ambulance arrived and the paramedics came. The way they dealt with my father was sensational, both the calming effect of their presence and the expert medical attention he received. My father had not even passed out and I was obviously in shock, feeling more than a little queasy.
We arrived at the famous Wythenshawe National Health Hospital. Again I was bowled over at how quickly he was seen, how smart the emergency wing was and how the doctors worked tirelessly for 2 hours to stop the bleeding and patch up my father. Of course the experience was horrific, especially for my father, but the kindness shown at every stage of this sad story was genuinely touching: People stopping, people offering help and the top-class treatment he received in our National Health hospital.
Lying in the next bay to my father was a very distressed Turkish lady who was crying and screaming, and it didn’t help that the doctor was unable to communicate with her. Finally, the noise abated and I asked the doctor if she was okay. I had got to know the staff over the last few hours and his exact reply was: “Oh, she is okay now, as the interpreter has arrived and explained the situation and calmed her down”. I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I was. I have to admit that the interpreter was not from thebigword, but that was irrelevant.
This experience led me to the realisation of just how vital our interpreting service really is to the community. The point is that, in this very scary situation, providing the facility for somebody to communicate in another language could potentially change or even save somebody’s life. Being an interpreter ultimately means giving a voice to those who are unable to communicate in situations which could have a profound impact on the life of that person.
I am so proud of the services we offer and I am proud to be part of the community where I live. I am also pleased to tell you that despite the drama of my father’s accident, the tough old boot is healing well.
Due to the huge growth in business we anticipate a growing need for interpreters in many languages, so if you can recommend someone, or want to apply yourself, please get in touch at: interpreting.procurement@thebigword.com and become part of thebigword family.
Larry
I was enjoying a morning walk along such a leafy road with my 86-year-old father. This joy was literally smashed when he tripped up on a loose paving stone and smashed his face into the ground, cutting open his head which bled heavily. To those of you who read my blog you will know how much I love my cell phone, but on this particular morning I had left it at home. Luckily a young guy called Mohammed stopped to help. He was incredibly kind and supportive, immediately phoning for an ambulance - it seemed like forever before the thing actually arrived.
By this time several people had stopped to help, cars pulled up to offer assistance and people brought blankets. This was extremely generous, as my father was still bleeding. The ambulance arrived and the paramedics came. The way they dealt with my father was sensational, both the calming effect of their presence and the expert medical attention he received. My father had not even passed out and I was obviously in shock, feeling more than a little queasy.
We arrived at the famous Wythenshawe National Health Hospital. Again I was bowled over at how quickly he was seen, how smart the emergency wing was and how the doctors worked tirelessly for 2 hours to stop the bleeding and patch up my father. Of course the experience was horrific, especially for my father, but the kindness shown at every stage of this sad story was genuinely touching: People stopping, people offering help and the top-class treatment he received in our National Health hospital.
Lying in the next bay to my father was a very distressed Turkish lady who was crying and screaming, and it didn’t help that the doctor was unable to communicate with her. Finally, the noise abated and I asked the doctor if she was okay. I had got to know the staff over the last few hours and his exact reply was: “Oh, she is okay now, as the interpreter has arrived and explained the situation and calmed her down”. I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I was. I have to admit that the interpreter was not from thebigword, but that was irrelevant.
This experience led me to the realisation of just how vital our interpreting service really is to the community. The point is that, in this very scary situation, providing the facility for somebody to communicate in another language could potentially change or even save somebody’s life. Being an interpreter ultimately means giving a voice to those who are unable to communicate in situations which could have a profound impact on the life of that person.
I am so proud of the services we offer and I am proud to be part of the community where I live. I am also pleased to tell you that despite the drama of my father’s accident, the tough old boot is healing well.
Due to the huge growth in business we anticipate a growing need for interpreters in many languages, so if you can recommend someone, or want to apply yourself, please get in touch at: interpreting.procurement@thebigword.com and become part of thebigword family.
Larry
