Soul Surfer

Title: Soul Surfer

Author: Bethany Hamilton

Genre: Biography

Pages: 110/262 

I have just read chapter 7 called Surgery, medics called it a traumatic amputation. Dr. Ken Pierce was her doctor, the same emergency room doctor who had handled the foot amputation by a tiger shark of body boarder Mike Coots a few years earlier. Because the hospital was such a long way from the beach they were at he knew that he would have plenty of time to prepare. Dr. Pierce- avid surfer himself who knew Bethany as well. His gut was telling him it was Bethany, and this would be a very tough operation personally and professionally. Dr. Rovinsky said Bethany was cool as a cucumber. Bethany said it was relief knowing I was in a hospital where people could help her. Bethany had made it this far…and she was going to survive this. She said that she really wasn’t in pain. The doctors hooked her up to lots of machines, she had nearly lost half of her blood volume. Tiger shark bites, tend to have a high risk of infection because these scavengers mouths are pretty filthy. He thoroughly cleaned the wound. They find nerves and cut them, causing them to react and reduce the potential for the phenomenon called phantom pain. Dr. Pierce would do the second surgery to close the wound, using a flap of her skin. Bethany was tried form the loss of blood. She was tried from the trauma and from being poked and prodded by doctors and medics. Dr. R said she was young, in great physical shape, the cut had been direct rather than a ragged tear, and her calmness had kept my heartbeat slow enough to keep the severed artery from quickly draining her blood supply.  “A lot of kids get used to making do without the missing limb, ‘he told my mother. ‘ And Bethany is a fighter”’ (Hamilton 75).

What does it mean to be a ‘self-actualized’ human being?

Self actualized mean for a person to achieve at a full potential. For each thing that they do, that they make it amazing and incredible, or it some things don’t even have to do that. For a person to be a self actualized human being they just have to do everything to their full potential and just try to do everything they can in the best way that they possibly can.

What is one unique thing you have discovered about your figure?

One thing that I find really interesting and unique about Bethany Hamilton is besides the fact that she does not have an arm, what I find unique is all the strength and the will power she had not to give up. And I just find that the most amazing thing that you could possibly have in life. Not everyone will have the power to keep trying, most people will just give up. So that is what I find unique about her, her will power to not give up. Not giving up and believing in yourself is what will make you an amazing person.

 

Describe your figure’s schooling and education?

Bethany went to a normal elementary school in Kauai. But she was only there up until 4^th grade and then was home schooled because she thought and her parents thought that if she wants to become a professional surfer she needs the time to surf. But as Bethany her parents and her still take her work seriously as her mum will often assign her lots of work. But many other surfers have done this as well such as her best friend Alana. Her parents also find it easier because they then surf during the day with her and then at night they will work.

  

this is a picture of a newspaper of a man showing the bite in Bethany's board after the attack. As you can see the shark not only bit of her arm but also took a big chunk out of the board. When the people were able to get the 14 foot tiger shark they put the board up to its mouth and they could see that it was an exact match.