Nurturing Our Soul

The Gift of a Future

Aron Baires

One of the most basic of all human needs is the need to feel productive, the sense that you are contributing to society. This is why people enter a profession. According to research, the primary motivator for working and/or remaining faithful to an organization is not level of pay, but the sense of fulfillment and productivity work provides. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association says, when a person stops working and retires they are 50 percent more likely to suffer from signs of depression.

The reason for this is simple. A career signifies more to people than earning a paycheck. It’s a form of self-expression. No matter what the profession, each person brings a unique part of himself or herself to the work they do.

WMMC, as a faith-based institution, encourages all staff to find self-expression through their work; to become personally engaged in this ministry that transcends self and changes lives in dramatic and marvelous ways. The fascinating thing that occurs, however, is that in finding self-expression through our work the life that changes most dramatically is our own.

This was the experience of Aron Baires. Aron’s work with WMMC has been one of self-expression and self-discovery. Working at WMMC is, quite literally, saving his life.

Aron was born in Honduras. As a boy he had a passion for sports, but was never able to excel. Activities that required coordination were impossible for him – no matter how diligently he practiced. Although his parents recognized that something wasn’t quite right with Aron, not having access to proper medical care, they attributed this to a lack of ability.

At age 17 the first critical sign of trouble occurred when Aron fainted and remained unconscious for more than 20 minutes. Once again, lack of medical expertise failed to diagnose what was actually happening inside Aron’s brain – a tumor was steadily growing on his brain stem. Nevertheless, he was released from the hospital with the advice to get more rest.

Life progressed without incident for the next four years. Aron graduated from high school and began work on an AA degree in science. As he was completing his college courses his application for a U.S. visa was approved. And so it was that in 1992 Aron, his parents and younger sister moved to Los Angeles.

Aron’s dream was to join the army and one day become a pilot. Having completed the battery of tests, he was accepted into the army and began preparations to leave for basic training. It appeared as though all his dreams were coming true. Life was truly good! Never, in his wildest imagination, would he have suspected that tragedy was just around the corner.

Eleven days before he was to leave for boot camp, while at home following his normal routine, Aron suddenly fell unconscious. By the time he reached the hospital his condition had become critical. There was bleeding in his brain that the emergency medical team diagnosed as an aneurysm. The episode left Aron completely paralyzed and unable to speak. You can imagine the grief his mother felt when the neurologist explained Aron’s prognosis as “poor,” adding, “he has anywhere from a few months to possibly a year to live.”

Whether it was Aron’s tenacity and will to live or his mother’s faithful prayers, or a combination of both, death was not to claim the young man. For nearly a year he was hospitalized while undergoing aggressive physical therapy. Although he regained some of his speech he was still unable to walk when he was discharged to his home.

Entering the house that once held so many hopes and dreams now seemed to mock his misfortune. The reality of his situation settled upon him like a nightmare from which he could not awake. A sense of helplessness invaded his life and overwhelmed him with depression. Aron could not imagine himself living as a cripple. For him, life was not worth living if he had to live it like this.

Aron soon became bitter and angry, sentiments that were manifested in his relationship with God. He blamed God for his illness and found himself distancing himself from this cruel Creator. His well-intentioned mother would often attempt to encourage him by putting his problems in perspective. Their dialogue would go something like this:

“Always remember, hijo, that there are others that are worse off than you.”

“I don’t care about those other people!”

“Be careful what you say Aron because God will punish you.”

“Punish me? What more can he do to me?”

“Be careful hijo, things can always get worse!”

And things did get worse. Several times Aron attempted to end his life on his own terms – cutting his wrists, overdosing on medication, among others. Whether it was lack of courage or insufficient opportunity, Aron never succeeded. The experience left him apathetic toward life. He simply stopped caring whether he lived or died. An example of this is when he was taken to a pool with a friend. The friend, according to Aron, was “not in his right mind” and placed Aron’s wheelchair at the edge of the pool. As he thought through the danger of falling in the water, he found himself silently hoping that it would happen and he made a conscience decision that he would make no attempt to save himself.

During that tumultuous year of home convalescence, despite his destructive propensities, Aron’s health did improve. He regained the ability to stand on his own – a breakthrough that encouraged him greatly. His life was finally beginning to look up when the doctors discovered the true cause of his illness. His disability was not caused by an aneurysm, but by a ruptured brain tumor known as Pontene Glioma (tumor on the brain stem.) Because of its location, surgery was not an option. If Aron were to have any chance of survival treatment of the tumor would have to begin soon.

With his life once again turned upside-down, and motivated by a strong desire to get out of the house, Aron began taking classes in Computer Science – a decision that would lead him down a path that would, again, change the course of his life – for the better.

Over the next seven years Aron studied diligently earning both an AA degree in computer science as well as a database administrator certificate. This was an accomplishment that any individual would be proud of. Add to the fact that while he was working toward this goal, he was also undergoing radiation, chemo and drug therapies, which makes this accomplishment nothing short of remarkable.

When the final treatment was completed Aron’s doctor encouraged him to put his education to practice through volunteer work. After all, there was nothing more that could be done medically and he might not be alive much longer. So, Aron began to consider organizations that may allow him the opportunity to volunteer. His treatments had brought him to WMMC about three years earlier and he remembered how kind everyone was to him. Perhaps this would be the place that would accept him and give him a chance.

At that time I was working on an ambitious project of building a Leadership Development System. A key aspect to this system was the creation of a database that could store important information and allow reports to be generated. Unfortunately, there was no one in the organization that had the knowledge to build such a complex program and outside agencies wanted to charge about $50,000. With good reason, I thought that this part of the project was doomed. Then Aron showed up.

“I have learned how to build databases,” he told me when we met, “not as complex as you are talking about, but I can try my best.” There was something about his sincerity that intrigued me and made me believe he could do it. And with that, we began working on creating something unique.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that Aron had talent and knew how to apply it. He worked hard and found joy in his accomplishments. Always the professional, the wheelchair-bound volunteer would come to work well groomed and dressed. Over the next couple of months, however, I began to notice changes in his demeanor. They were subtle changes like sitting a bit taller in his wheelchair, holding his chin a little higher, smiles and chuckles of laughter. It was obvious that Aron found meaning in his work and as a result began to feel more positive and fulfilled. “My motto used to be,” he said one day, “Que sera, sera (What will be will be,) but now I feel a sense of pride.”

We worked well together although I was very demanding. I had a specific vision of what the database would do and I would not settle for anything less. Aron not only welcomed these challenges, but also reveled in finding solutions. In fact, whenever we were faced with a problem or a modification – no matter how complicated – Aron would calm my anxiety by saying: “I don’t know if it’s possible, but don’t worry I will find a solution.” He never let me down.

As the project neared its completion I realized that Aron was crucial, not only to the construction of the database, but also to its maintenance. It was time to change his job title from Volunteer to Consultant and provide a small stipend for his work. I recall the joy on his face when I took him to change his ID badge and the look of pride as he wheeled himself down the hallway with his first paycheck in hand – reminiscent of the Lone Ranger riding into the sunset.

A few days before we were to roll the system out live, Aron shared with me the impact this work had on him. He marveled at how much his life had changed in such a brief period. He expressed how grateful he was to feel independent and have some money to spend. He said, “It was my dream to finish school and get a job. Now that dream has come true and I can die a happy man!” He meant it.

Aron’s life was being transformed and I had a front row seat! Through his ordeal, he had experienced first hand that when you think you’ve seen the worst life has to offer, it can always get worse. Now he was about to experience that even when life is good, it could get even better.

Over a year has passed since Aron walked through the doors of WMMC looking for volunteer work. Recently, at our weekly meeting, Aron arrived at my office with an unusual twinkle in his eye. I didn’t have to prod very much for him to share with me the source of that twinkle. Sitting up straight and clearing his throat he said, “Yesterday I received the results of my six-month check-up.” Pausing as if he could hardly believe what he was about to say, he continued, “They told me that my tumor is shrinking! My doctor says he believes that working at WMMC is healing me!”

Caught up by the emotion, he swallowed hard then, looking up with eyes clouded by tears of joy he concluded, “For the first time Paul, I can plan for the future!”

What a moment that was! For Aron however, this future represented more than his remarkable physical healing. It included a mending of relationships – a spiritual healing that has brought peace and strength into his life. “I don’t blame God anymore. I pray every night and thank God for the good and the bad. He allowed this to happen for a reason and if one day he reveals it to me, that’s fine, but even if he chooses not to reveal it, I’m OK with that too.”

Aron is a LIVING example of how, in finding self-expression through your work, you find meaning for your life.

By Paul Crampton, Director of Chaplaincy Services