What is a Humanitarian? Dr. Ed Iannuccilli
Monday, May 30, 2022
Last week, my good friend from our medical school days at Albany, Dr. Alan Ashare, received the humanitarian award from The College. It was a singular honor for a man who has had influence, who has moved the needle, for people. As I read of his remarkable achievements, not only in the field of medicine but also as a proponent of safety for ice hockey players, I was delighted. Yes, his avocation was ice hockey safety.
What is a humanitarian, and why should we recognize one? If one asks about the value of human life or the value of making a life better, therein lies the answer.
Humanitarianism is believing that helping, and not harming, someone is important. It is believing that you can mitigate, or eliminate, suffering. The humanitarian puts value on a life and becomes a proponent for its improvement.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe humanitarian rises above self-need and incorporates values based on spirituality, social issues, and status while working toward a common objective of understanding the needs and goals of others in his/her efforts.
One of those people is Alan. He is a nuclear medicine expert and has served in that capacity as Chair of the Department at the St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Boston since 1979.
Alan has spent his volunteer time in the field of ice hockey, and he is not a hockey player. After seeing a dreadful injury resulting in paraplegia when a player crashed into the boards sliding headfirst with his head down, he realized that there must be a way to prevent such a devastating consequence. After some clinical research, he launched the Heads Up Don’t Duck program to decrease the risk of quadriplegic cervical spine injuries. His initiative includes extensive education sessions for coaches, parents, and organizations. He has developed instructive manuals.
He has collaborated with countless hockey organizations, taking educational leadership roles in most.
“There is no practical equipment available to prevent spinal cord injuries. Awareness is the only way. Players need to be taught preventive techniques through coaches.”
So here is a man, not a hockey player, stepping out of his chosen profession after observing a terrible injury, at which point, he decided he needed to do something. There is no way to know how many cases have been prevented with his efforts, but if it is just one, that’s plenty.
I was proud to sit next to my friend on the morning he received his award. And in a place where joy prevailed. I leaned toward him, “Great job, Alan. You have had influence. You have made a difference.”
Early in this piece, I asked the question of why we should honor someone for being a humanitarian. Because of what Alan said to me when I congratulated him, I had the answer.
He leaned back, took a long, thoughtful look, first with his head down, then with his head up, and modestly proclaimed, “Real humanitarians should not receive awards.”
Classic Alan, and precisely why he received his. Hold your head high, my friend.
Dr. Ed Iannuccilli is the author of three popular memoirs, “Growing up Italian; Grandfather’s Fig Tree and Other Stories”, “What Ever Happened to Sunday Dinner” and “My Story Continues: From Neighborhood to Junior High.” NOW, he has written his fourth book "A Whole Bunch of 500 Word Stories."
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