Chapter 10

That morning before she left home for college, Gianna had put a silver box belcher chain around her neck as a lucky charm. It contained her father's round flat 30 mm locket engraved with words 'Eternally In My Heart'. "I want you to keep it forever," she said putting both her hands on Amelia's shoulders. "Take care of it because it's your Daddy's most precious gift. He gave it to me just before he died and told me to give it to you when you are older enough to take care of it." Amelia looked at it closely and was surprised by its relatively big size and heaviness unlike other lockets. "My father's choice of alloy for this locket was intriguing too." she winked and smiled at her mother naughtily as she brought it closer to her eyes to see it clearly. "He could make a delicate one Mom." she teased her mother while opening the locket to peek inside it. "It's beautiful isn't it?" Gianna smiled too trying to avoid the question about his choices. She caressed her father's face with her thumb whose sparkling smile was visible in the picture. It was hard for her to hide her emotions as she looked at her father's smiling face. Choking on her own saliva she painfully swallowed the lump in her throat and left the room hurriedly.

Now that she was standing in front of so many people she felt a dire need to calm her nerves. Her hands were cold and shaky. It was a first time she was up on the stage to talk about her favorite subject. "God please help me" she whispered to herself while holding the locket in her palms and closed her eyes to remember the vague picture of her father. She raised her eyes to spot David in the front row. He nodded his head slightly to give her a "every thing will be okay" gesture. She smiled at him and then looked back to the projection screen. "Into the world of immunization." The topic slid from the top to cover the head of the projection screen. "Immune System is the most intelligent and tremendously organised defence system of the human body." She began with a confident smile. The things that she had rehearsed initially seemed vanished from her mind but gradually words fell to their places once she started the first sentence. "If we make our military institutes work like the defence system of human body believe me nothing in the world would beat it." She said confidently.

"But the point is why has the need of immunization arisen although we have a good innate immunity?" She continued with a quizzical tone. "The immune system which has a well developed organs to resist foreign agents by invading and destroying them still requires to be strengthened." She explained. "For instance, you cannot fight an intruder with bare hands if he is strong and has a knife or gun to attack you. You will also need a weapon to fight back. Sometimes a human body is weak to respond to intruding materials even if it has necessary organs to fight. We only have to enhance it with weapons. And those weapons are vaccines." Every thing that she said was normal and every one in the auditorium seemed to know it.

She shed light on the history of vaccines. The famous pioneer Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccine was a must included story. "History remembers those who make an all-out effort and sacrifices to go beyond the limits of life." She emphasised. "And Sir Edward was a man who changed the history of immunization with his brave discovery. Since then so much has been achieved." Having said a lot about history, sources, types of vaccines by moving to and fro in front of the projector, with a suitable movements of hands she came to the prospects of immunization. It was this part of the presentation that she thought would attract the audience. she looked at the screen, took a deep breath and said loudly. "Future prospects of immunizations". Clearing her throat, she began; "we have always been on the quest to reduce mortality and prolong the process of ageing. To live longer is a human's inherent desire. His attempts to make this desire a reality has been a long-standing effort and has succeeded so far but it is still in the process of evolution." Immunization has just opened a door for him into a whole new world, which has not only reduced mortality but also strengthened immunity to fight various diseases and live longer. We must be grateful to Dr Jenner's courageous and brave discovery." Her gratitude seemed obvious from her zealousness.

"The prospects of immunizations are very bright." She continued with further enthusiasm. "We are seeing a world where disease would just be an event and its treatment a magic. Science has proven that humans have limitless powers and can surmount every obstacle that comes their way," she appreciated the human brain for having immense powers before she could convince people with something apparently unrealistic so she continued. "Diseases like cancers would be magically cured with less or no side effects to the body."She was overwhelmed with her prediction in the field of immunology. Her voice raised with excitement when she divulged about nanotechnology and other prospective advanced methods. She had said much about the future of immunization which apparently seemed impossible. Her surety was full of encouragement.

She concluded her presentation with her own definition of accomplishments, "If any one person gets healed because of the efforts I make to get their immunity back on wheels i will feel that my job as a human and as a doctor has been accomplished." She said zealously. The sound of claps reverberated in the entire auditorium as she caught sight of David who was smiling at her with shimmering eyes. She smiled back at him proudly.

This is just the beginning she told him while leaving the hall. We are aspiring to go above the visible skies. She said enthusiastically. Well, I can judge that from the brightness in your eyes. He said returning the smile.