hjourdenjackson

"Life is too short not to spend yourself on love."

It's a lofty goal, and I don't always succeed (especially when I'm driving... eek) but that's my desire. With that in mind, I'm working on an undergraduate biology degree with hopes of earning a PhD in immunology. I'd like to find a way to treat/prevent the water borne illnesses that are endemic in the developing world without increasing the problems of resistance to antimicrobials, adverse reactions, or immense costs to local populations - the use of natural botanical remedies, such as garlic or ginger, that grow well in these regions, are what I'm hoping to look at. (That's a little ways off, but that's where I'm looking). (The TL;DR - Can we use garlic/ginger, that already grows well in developing countries, to treat or prevent waterborne illnesses without making the problem worse?)

The longer term goal is that once I've earned my degree, we can pay off all our debt, I can teach other people to think sideways around problems, how to fight illnesses, how to advocate for themselves/their patients, and even better, free up income to travel and go the things I'm super passionate about - go to these places where disease is endemic and help fight it. Give freely to help offset the cost of treatments that I can't make cheap with my research.

I can't change the world by myself. I can't fix the brokenness I see around me. But I refuse to give up, to give in, or surrender. Too many people made a difference in my life for me not to want to give that gift to as many others as I possibly can. Life is just too short. Of all the things I could do with it, I'd rather spend it on love than anything.