Saturday 24 June 2023

Turkish Inspiration

Wednesday I had a second meeting in Parliament in the Wilson Room Porticulus House. A very powerful, inspirational and moving meeting with Serkan Bayram an MP from the Turkish Parliament. Serkan had severe burns when a baby and his hands are deformed as a consequence but he has risen through all the adversity and all the pain to become a very loud compassionate voice in parliament. He has introduced policies to help all disabled to live yes live be respected and given chances to overcome obstacles.  Obstacles put in the way of able bodied people and their attitudes and lack of understanding of the needs of those with handicaps. Serkan showed us all that we are more than the body we are mind spirit and heart that is where the ultimate power leads as we link to the divine that created all. It was a very apt meeting after attending the Compassion in Politics meeting prior.  Something very personally special happened to me.. we were in the Wilson room dedicated to my mum's favourite PM. She loved Harold and his wife Mary as they gave the impression that if you knocked on the door of Downing street you would not be turned away but invited in.. That they would say "come on in lets get the kettle on tell me what you need help with and we will help you!"
in the old days you could actually go down Downing street and stand outside where now the media only is permitted. But this link with my mum does not stop here. Mum had a birth injury that led to her left arm being paralysed and atrophied in a condition known as Erbs Palsy.  I told Serkan this through an interpretator in a very private connected time despite us being in a packed room.   He replied that is why you became a Nurse and Midwife. Yes and found a way to prevent this injury in an Obstetric emergency of Shoulder Dystocia. 
But something even more happened to the meeting. Recently I had watched a UNICEF documentary where one of our celebrities, Alex Brooker who also has deformed hands had visited Zaartari camp in Jordan to meet a Syrian girl with a deformed hand. This is the most powerful part of me sharing this with Serkan is that Alex also met a Syrian refugee in the camp that was using 3D printer technology to produce prosthetics.  He had made a prosthetic hand for the little girl!
I feel blessed to have met Serkan and we held one another in an embrace that for me was twofold not only holding him now but that baby I had seen on the film trailer.  I love babies and it was so painful to see Serkan as a baby in pain. But is has done something I know as I do this too he Turned His Pain into Campaign and this is life raision d'etre he is a very loud compassionate voice for all that have had injuries and are disabled in someway to enable a better life and live their lives with dignity respect and ability to share their creativity with us all. This is a voice he wants to resonnate around the world. 
I am thankful for Turkeys work with Syrian refugees and hope that we can change the world to a peaceful caring world no wars to cause pain and injury. To care for our planet to lessen Climate crisis morbidity from earthquakes and disasters. Our planet is feeling handicapped by our disrespect for the care and life support mother Earth gives us. We need to heal ourselves, our societies and our planet. Compassion is key Understanding essential. Love removes obstacles with love there are no obstacles and no borders.