In this
version of the speech 2 , Every day Hero
by +Alice Nyamu, the speaker chooses to use the chronological outline. She achieves
the objectives of the project. She also achieves her specific purpose – to inform
The speech was
easy to follow because it follows events as they happened time. It captures the
listener’s attention because the opening question pokes curiosity. The suspense
is maintained through the speech. Notice to how she is translating from one idea
to the other by using phrases at the end of the paragraphs that lead to the
next paragraph.
But was it to
be. But oops! ….had to play my part. It was not necessary
Save a Life
How do you respond to disasters? Do you run away from the scene screaming, or do you mumble a silent prayer frozen in shock, or probably spectate craning over people’s shoulders to catch a glimpse of the action and a photo?
On a sunny Saturday morning, four of my
colleagues and I decided to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city
and seek an adventure. We settled on bungee-jumping, rock climbing and water
games at Sagana. It seemed like the perfect get away plan. But was it to be.
Upon reaching Makuyu, we saw a large crowd of
people. Alas! In plain sight was a 42 seater bus that had overturned. On
reaching the accident scene our worst fears were confirmed. Pandemonium is the way I could describe the
horrid situation. The screams of women and children rented the air and I was
struck by the acrid smell of blood.
Shock was written all over our faces. We were all panicked, even Jack,
the dare devil of the group looked like he would wet his pants. We mastered enough
courage and joined the rescue team. We decided it was prudent to rush as many
victims as possible to the hospital. My friend Mercy flagged down motorists
from the side of the road to assist in rushing the casualties to hospital. It was amazing to see many people ready and
willing to help. Horns blaring and hazard lights flashing, after what seemed to
be an eternity we reached the hospital in a retinue of vehicles carrying victims.
Quickly, although not like in the movies but quick enough, the accident victims
were put on stretchers and wheeled in to the emergency room. Our good did for
the day done we, turned to pick our journey where it had been interrupted. But oops!
There was a Dr. Maingi barring the way.
He thanked us profusely before dropping the bomb
shell.
“Most of your patients have lost a lot of blood”
he started. Then as we looked at him incredulously like ‘hey Doc we know. We brought
them in’ he added
“they will certainly require blood transfusion but our banks are empty. Can you please spare a few minutes to donate some”. Spare time? that was the least of my worries.
The idea of being pricked with a needle was not
my cup of tea and the thought was just plain terrifying to say the least. But
we followed him like sheep to a slaughter into the “blood donation centre”. I
must have shown a very scary look for the kept doctor reassuring me it would
only take a few minutes and emphasized how much someone would benefit from it
even throwing in a free sodas afterwards. I psyched myself saying “The victims
needed me! I had to play my part.” But all that was not necessary
When turn came the nurses were very patient as they calmly took me
through the donation and before I knew
it, it was over!
I had set out in the morning seeking to conquer the fear of heights, but
I had conquered one of my biggest fears, a doctors needle and emerged wiser
from it.
First, through my experience, I realized we can
all donate blood, no matter how scary it may look. You may have some misconceptions like fear of contracting
a disease in the process of donation. Actually, our efforts may be obscured by fear, lack of time and lack of
awareness among other factors.
Secondly, in spite of there being a government
policy that every person in Kenya who requires blood has access to safe blood
at anytime, it is not achievable without our involvement.
Finally, the American Medical Association found that
giving blood every six months led to fewer heart attacks and strokes. Having
an excessive level of iron in your body is one of the most potent ways that
your body oxidizes, or prematurely ages.
Let’s face it; there are numerous cases where
patients have lost their lives due to lack of blood in hospitals yet there are
numerous appeals for blood donation. Don’t ignore those calls; let us make it
our responsibility to donate blood. Ultimately, the power to save someone’s
life is truly in your hands.
Please give blood; 8 billion mosquitoes can’t
be wrong!
