Our Heritage of Sickness

THE young couple were so excited! It was a joy to behold their glow of anticipation as they awaited the birth of their first child. Then the baby was born, a little girl. But she was extremely retarded. She would never live a normal life. Only another parent could understand their shock and grief.

He is a high school student, respected by his teachers, popular among his fellows. Everyone predicted a bright and successful future for him. During this, his final school year, he has developed pains in his legs. An examination has revealed multiple sclerosis. “Why me?” he is asking. “Why now?”

Do you suffer from headaches, like this woman? Or are you among the multitudes who experience stomach disorders, muscular pains, bad backaches, severe palpitations, nervous tension, arthritis or something similar? Such problems are rarely fatal, but they detract from our enjoyment of life. And they make some days very difficult to get through.

Is there hope that such scenes as these may one day be eliminated? Will the time come when man will no longer suffer from his old enemies, sickness and death? Or are they a permanent part of the human scene?