PUBLISHED     Selected for “The Gift of Life” story

 

As a global health physician I have worked all over the world. I took this photograph (with permission) in the intensive care unit of Mongolia’s national hospital, a portrait of a patient with Hepatitis B&D waiting for a liver transplant. The clock ticking was deafening. We don’t consider it so, but really, every heart beat is a privilege. This reminds me of Astronaut Neil Armstrong’s quote, “I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine.” BY ALEXANDER KUMAR

#ulaanbaatar #organtransplant #hepatitis #mongolia#healthcare #inequality #globalhealth

 

EDITOR’S NOTE:

You captured a truly storytelling image. I can feel the anxiety this man is feeling, wondering if he will live long enough to receive his transplant, completely unsure of his future. Your caption does a wonderful job of telling us the background of this photograph all while keeping it in perspective and challenging us to appreciate our time, our health while we have it. Nice job.

 

FULL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT:

http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/10054974/