June 20, 2007
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Jumping
This is a woman who is suffering from cancer.
She cannot afford the medical cost to treat her cancer. So here she is on a rooftop thinking about committing suicide. A rescue worker is attempting to talk to her. She is from China. Here is the link: Link
If you were the rescue worker with this woman, what would you say to the woman?
Comments (82)
I’d say that I know EXACTLY how she’s feeling. Even the risk of cancer is scaring me to death right now.
I have no idea
I have no idea
Who knows? The situation does seem hopeless for this woman. How sad.
“Please come down with me – have hope in your life! Help might come for you if you come down with me. But if you don’t, no help will come at all…”
Call me a stupid Christian, but I’d try to get her to pray or pray for her and then hook her up with Christian charities that might be able to round up the $$$ to get her the treatment she needs
I would tell her that I think that if she comes down she would get a chance to see her community come together to help her (which it probably will, now, after this public spectacle). I would also tell her that the easy way out is not necessarily the best way out…
Wow thats a tough one. really
Watch out, that first step’s a doozy…
especially for a stupid christian…
move to canada they’ll pay for
your chemo and health care!
of course i’d say that in chinese.
people trust others who they think
are like them. it’s true.
I’d tell her she’s not on a high enough building. If she’d jump, she stood a good chance of not killing herself but seriously messing herself up and living through it. How would she afford the hospital bill for that? Then I’d take her out for tea and tell her how I had cancer and I’m still trying to figure out how to pay the bills.
That’s a tough one.
That there are funds to help her with this, organizations that will help with money. That it’s not hopeless, she can fight this, and she can have monetary help. The fight will be hard enough, money is the small stuff.
I would just listen to her and try to understand her situation. Usually people express an emotion that we’ve all experienced and can identify. Giving empathy to a person and having the time to listen is what most people desire.
i woudl say…
Don’t jump. It’s too messy for us to clean up. Do us a favor and O.D. instead. Thanks!
I think that I would tell her that I care and I know that others care.
I dont know..
I’d ask her where she thinks she’s going when she dies.
I’d ask her what kind of sense it makes to kill yourself to avoid dying from cancer…
I wouldn’t be a rescue worker in that situation. If someone has a terminal illness, who are we to tell them they have to suffer through it? I’ve watched too many friends and family members lie in bed in horrible pain for weeks for no reason but to suffer.
the fall will kill you faster than cancer.
I’d tell her that if she survives…she’s going to have a even bigger bill from the city to contend with.
Isn’t communism suppose to take care of everyone’s health care needs?
ehh medicine is expensive. i would tell her to dive
I’d say, “Can we talk about it?”
I guess the first step is getting her off that ledge.
I have no idea what I would say.
I’m a christian, so there are a series of questions I could ask. ;D But the main one is this:
Are you ready to die? Do you honestly know where your going go to one you take that leap?
Chyeah. But I hope I would never have to be in that situation.
Go ahead and jump, it will be fun until you hit the ground and death should come rapidly after hitting. Plus, no one will notice you are dead since we are in China and we have a few billion other people around.
I probably wouldn’t actually say that but as of right now I certainly would want to. I really can’t blame her for wanting to die though, she is living in China, thus has no freedoms, and she is going to die anyway since she lacks the funds to pay for treatment. I would be surprised if anyone except the top leadership in China could afford cancer treatment considering how little they get paid.
I would have agree with Tzaddick though, I thought that the system was supposed to provide for the treatment of the citizens.
I would tell her that she still has hope. Seeing that she hasn’t jumped of the building yet shows that there is a part of her that wants to live.
Heh, now that its on national news some person is going to think. “Hey we should raise money for this woman!” Well, hopefully. LOL.
I’d tell her I’d help pay for her medical costs. And I’d keep my promise.
Dan, I read these comments from “Christians” and I start to wonder: Are they the same kind of Christian as me? My first question to them would never be, “Do you know where you are going when you die.” Perhaps I subscribe to a different edition of the bible or something…
i would tell her i would pay for it myself, and i would start a fund for her.
I’d probably sing to her or something weird, anything to get her to chill out. I’d tell her that money is unlimited in America and that she doesnt need to worry, because there is no lack of people who are desperate to find a charitable cause. I’d tell her that she doesnt deserve to die without a fight, so we’d better start stirring some shit up.
In chinese, of course.
If only she could get in contact with the good doctor.
pass by ~
cm
This really is a tough one. If the man was able to get her down, his words must have been something powerful.
That’s a tough one.
Thanks for the post
I don’t honestly know what I’d tell her probably something along the lines of if she sticks it out atleast she has hope of getting help and making a recovery, but if she jumps then thats that….
My heart goes out to her and I pray God helps and heals her… My mother died of cancer a year ago and I watched her SUFFER with it and there was nothing they could do to help….. seeing what she went through I’m glad she didn’t kill herself, but I could understand if she had.
not that approve of suicide, but if someone is really going to do it no matter what, don’t jump off a building, think of the loved ones who have to ID you and just Od instead…..
NOT THAT I THINK SUICIDE IS OK !
… oh and I think rather then commenting on what to say to this poor woman, STOP AND SAY A PRAYER FOR HER !!!
I’d tell her I knew how she could get money for medical treatment (hey, even if its a lie, if it saves a life, it’s worth telling). Then I’d get on the internet and see what kind of government money or charity I could hook her up with. I’d bring her to church so she would make friends and not feel so alone and helpless.
why not choose a higher building?
I talked someone through suicide once.
But this situation is certainly different… even if no medical treatment was available (which it might be now, given all this coverage), I’d talk her down and at least go have one last fling at life in all of its beauty and strangeness. As long as we could. And then, finally, to end things with dignity and closure.
Not in this way. Certainly not.
I’ll pay and pray for you.
jump!
hahah” isnt communism suppose to take of everyone?”
EVERYONE?you kidding.
And true that theres so many people
in China, she’s just half a dot in the mass
swirl of them, no freedoms, no say.
and well..asian-Chinese- people are very..
Whats the word..traditional?
They don’t really think death
or anything related to it, especially
suicide.it’s bad..obviously.
Or well at least in my big family,
we don’t at all ever mention anything
like that, the slightest death mention,
just brings all of them down.
I mean..if they do think about it then
and get on top of a building,
its seriously already gotten to her brain.
i think it’d be easier to get to
someone living in America.
I’d..say,
Don’t you have family?Children,Husband?
And of course try to adapt into their
situation, feed her strands of hope.
I would tell her that she doesn’t want to jump because she would have already done it before the news and media station arrived. I would ask her exactly why she wants to end her own life. Then I would just listen to her talk about what’s bothering her.
this will hurt worse than a pill.
i’d ask her about her family and friends. let her talk, get close. then once i was there i would take hold of her and tell her “you aren’t hitting the street without me”. i would have to save her or die trying.
Dan, I read these comments from “Christians” and I start to wonder: Are they the same kind of Christian as me? My first question to them would never be, “Do you know where you are going when you die.” Perhaps I subscribe to a different edition of the bible or something…
So… what would you say then?
is she afraid of dying from the cancer? well killing herself doesnt exactly fix that fear of death thing now does it?
I’d tell her to come closer to me because I can’t hear what she’s saying.
Go to Canada.
Go to Guantanamo Bay..
Something like “HOLY CRAP! WE’RE REALLY HIGH UP!”
I’m afraid of heights and would make a poor rescue worker.
Did you get a second opinion? Seriously, I would tell her about a hope in Christ, and that He would guide her paths if she would let Him. It would have to be quick, though, as I’m deathly afraid of heights.
Um, i’d tell her that there is a God who loves her and that he doesn’t want her to end her life like that. And then i’d tell her that we can find a way to get money for the treatments, even if i’d have to take her to america so that she could get better and live her life..
however..if there were no possible way for her to be treated and she was in a lot of pain and she wasn’t really close to any of her friends or family..then i don’t know. i don’t agree with suicide, but it can be understandable sometimes. just don’t jump off a building. messy.
amanda
“Can you think of anything that makes you want to live, even if you’ll be in pain?”
“Can you think of anyone who would prefer that you live a while longer?”
What else can anyone say?
Wow..thats a hard question to answer. I’d probably tell her that jumping to her death is not the answer to her problems and then offer to help her find some sort of medical help.
Don’t have a damned clue. I actually saw a really intriguing article on this very subject though, and I highly recommend you read it.
http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=864
-David
Rofl at Tzaddick.
I’d try to listen to her and avoid pat answers.
well…is she still alive?
(to the first poster who claimed she knew EXACTLY what this woman was feeling… unless you’ve been diagnosed with cancer yourself and had no way of covering the medical costs, there’s no way you know how she’s feeling. She’d probably laugh in your face for being so arrogant)
I don’t know what I’d say to her. That maybe there’s other options to pay for the cost. I have no idea what those might be, though. Honestly, that fall would probably be a kinder death than by cancer. Maybe she could find someone to just give her a morphine overdose. That would be so much more peaceful. I don’t really understand the idea that someone should die a more drawn-out, painful way just b/c that’s the desease they have.
most of these are great answers.
Wow, well speaking as a cancer survivor myself, I can see how she would feel like there is no hope for her. And there are charities out there that can help with her financial troubles. I am sure that there has to be financial assistance even in China. I know that here in Delaware if you dont have insurance to cover treatment for cancer, we have a program that does help people. I know how it feels to be trapped. I fortunately work for a hospital, and my health insurance covered me more then 100%.
In the words of Van Halen…JUMP!
I dunno, she seems to be in a lose-lose situation. Poor lady, I feel for her.
I”ll smuggle you to Canada in my luggage and they’ll treat you there?
id say, heres 500 bucks (in chinese currency). go to amsterdam. Be euthanised. Enjoy these last days with no fear.
testing,,,話,,呢度D野好靚呀
Oh god.. that’s scary. Poor woman.
“Isn’t communism suppose to take care of everyone’s health care needs?”
Anyone who knows anything about REAL Communism knows that what China has is NOT Communism.
I don’t know what I’d say to her.
hm.. i wonder if that was her cry for help… hoping some rich person can pay for her..
J
I wouldn’t say anything, only cuz hugging speaks louder than words.
I’d tell her to jump. China doesn’t like women anyways and their economy can’t sustain all the people living there.
: / I would have figured out a better end to myself than jumping
I lost 3 family members to cancer. Its a bad way to die in itself.)I remember when I was about 13-14 before my mother died, I had to help her “clean her incision”(it was a wound that would never heal). Finally they decided I was too young to hold so much responcibility over my mothers care, and my brothers and sisters and I went into foster care.
I don’t know.
Why do people assume she wants to be asked where she’s going after she dies? Why assume that she even believes in heaven or hell?
I’d ask her what her name is.
That seems like a good place to start.
Aw, how horrible!
I know that the Chinese don’t have much money, and I truly feel her pain. My Dad is friends with people over in China that he met while on business trips and he when he comes home he always tells us about the new people he met. A lot don’t have moeny, but their so happy. I feel bad for her… I don’t know what I would say. It would be hard for her to get any money from the Country, and she obviously can’t afford it… I feel so sad for her.
I dunno. Seems like a pretty good idea to me.
But then again, if you stick around, there’s always a chance of a nice person / group of people / larger organization helping you out. Slim, yes. But there? Certainly. When it gets really grim, then she can launch herself off whenever she likes.
Provided she pick a higher building, so she definitely won’t survive and be stuck with those medical bills….
Oh … and I just think that all the people recommending that we look to God to guide our paths … BS. Pick something better. If you’re about to jump off a building, you probably don’t have much faith in him. Her. It. You probably don’t have much faith in anything at all. Give some advice that actually means something instead of a referral to some imaginary being up in the clouds.
That’s hard. Maybe, I will tell her she can find some grands from places that help helpless cancer victims like her. Suicide is the last resort. Think about how much pain she will leave her family if she had killed herself. Don’t give up. Do it for her family. She owe it to herself.
Thankfully I don’t have to know that would be so hard…
I just saw letters from Iwo Jima — Maybe it’s a pride thing so not to be a “scavanger” on her family.