Evan Nelson

This I Believe: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”

Imagine walking into a house, sirens ruining the calm air on a sunny summer day. But

what you find inside that house turns that sunny day into a dark cloud of imminent disaster. This

feeling is what I felt as I walked into a patient’s house as I volunteered with the medics and

EMTs in my township.

As I walked in the door, I laid eyes on my first serious emergency. On the floor was a

young man, gargling as he struggled to breathe. A blue hue to his face as life began to escape

from his body. Next to him were two objects that confirmed our worst suspicions: a cord and a

syringe. As rescuers frantically began to work magic and bring this man back to life, I was

tasked with gathering patient information. This seems like a simple task until you have to look

into the terrified face of the man’s mother. The horror on her face is one I will not soon forget.

Tears streamed down her face as I asked her question after question. I will never forget her

powerful sobs and desperate prayers as she watched her son battle the angel of death.

It is this story that best emulates my belief that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound

of cure. Perhaps if the man’s rehab experience had been more successful and comprehensive, he

would not find himself laying on the floor with a syringe by his side. He had relapsed after rehab,

and he certainly suffered the consequences. But there must be something to prevent people from

trying drugs in the first place. This man should never have completed the transaction in which he

placed his money in a drug dealer’s hand and received a small package of poison in return.
Family values, improved drug and alcohol education in the school systems, and lack of negative

influences would have all helped this overdose patient from using drugs in the first place.

Increased prevention is not only important to drug-related scenarios. This same principle

of increased prevention may be applied to any situation, especially to situations in the medical

world. For instance, breast cancer is easily treatable so long as it is caught early enough in the

progress of the disease. My grandmother has recently won her second battle with breast cancer.

It was through frequent and regular mammograms that her cancer was able to be detected and

treated efficiently and effectively. I thank God for the proactive attitude she possesses. It is this

attitude that keeps her going back to the doctor for scheduled screenings. Without these

preventative steps, it is probable that my grandmother would not be living.

It is my true belief that a little prevention is better than large amounts of cure. It is better

to prevent a tragedy than experience one. Treat your body with care; check on it regularly to

prevent serious disease and sickness. As a future physician, I must believe in prevention, as I

dislike the idea of watching my patients suffer through the heartbreak of sudden catastrophe.