I recently had the honor of being interviewed for a podcast by the remarkable Sila Bal, MD. The premise is to interview various surgeons and ask them to discuss real-life patient scenarios and the approach we would take to address the problems. Dr. Bal graciously provided me with the list of questions she was going to ask, which made my job infinitely easier.

While it was fairly simple to come up with answers to most of her questions, her last question really made me think. She asked, “If you could have dinner with one person from any time or place in the history of humanity, who would it be?”

STRONG WOMEN LEADERS

It took me 3 days and many discussions with my husband and friends to come up with an answer. I knew it had to be a strong woman leader who had impacted history and was a role model for all women. I Googled “famous women,” “women who changed history,” “famous women in medicine.” Truth be told, I didn’t really know much about any of those women — certainly not enough to have a dinner conversation.

Finally, I came up with three women: Erin Brockovich, an American paralegal, consumer advocate and environmental activist; Dr. Anna Pou, an otolaryngologist who was charged and then cleared of charges for euthanasia of 45 patients at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans following hurricane Katrina; and, finally, Yusra Mardini.

GAINING PERSPECTIVE

I first heard Yusra’s story when I watched The Swimmers, a Netflix show that depicted her story of great bravery, commitment and determination. At 18, she escaped war-torn Syria with her sister, Sara, walked across Europe and swam through the choppy waters of the Aegean Sea. Sara was motivated by her promise to her parents to protect her little sister throughout the journey and to reunite with her family. Yusra longed for the reunification of her family, but also her desire to swim at the Olympics and represent her people in front of the world.

Yusra’s story brought the Syrian refugee crisis into my home and put a face to the people who are suffering. Also, it changed how I viewed my life and put things in perspective: my sacrifices, struggles, family and work. I don’t think I would have the courage, strength or conviction to achieve what these young ladies did.

RESILIENCY AND STRENGTH

Life is never a smooth path. A few weeks ago, I had the distinct privilege of spending some wonderful personal time with my friend and colleague, Dr. Cynthia Matossian. She shared with me the story of her journey from Beirut, Lebanon to the United States. Dr. Matossian described her experience to me as “gigantic boulders hurling themselves unexpectedly onto the road.” During one of the many wars in Beirut, her parents decided it was time to move to America to avoid the uncertainties of recurrent strife and to provide unparalleled educational opportunities for their children. She was 12 years old and felt “plopped” into a new culture, with a new language she did not know. Resiliency and strength as a family pulled them through the difficult times. With loans and scholarships, all of the children went to college, then onto graduate degrees. Dr. Matossian feels that the kindness demonstrated by most people she met on the journey taught her to be kind and helpful to all she meets in return.

Dr. Matossian is a world-renowned ophthalmologist, but to understand her story of determination, discipline, commitment and persistence is to see her in a new light. She is brilliant, thoughtful and giving despite the hardships she endured along the way. As I listened to her recount these stories, I felt like we only scratched the surface of her experiences and I look forward to hearing more.

LEARN FROM OTHERS

I wrote this article prior to the recent events in Israel, which have only further reinforced the value of hearing others’ stories — those who we know and those we don’t. I urge you to take the time to meet people, especially at professional meetings with people from all walks of life, and listen to their stories, which show us who they really are and the struggles they have overcome.

We all have stories. When we share ours and learn from others, we enrich our lives and gain a greater understanding of the world we live in. OM

LISA K. FEULNER, MD, PHD, is Ophthalmology Management’s chief medical editor. She is the founder and CEO of Advanced Eye Care & Aesthetics in Bel Air, Md., where she specializes in cataract surgery, medical and surgical glaucoma care and dry eye disease.