A life mandated to save: A lesson for all of us

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, CNY Latino would like to highlight one of many
Latino medical professionals who are making a difference in our community. We want to honor Dr. Ted Triana for his outstanding dedication and passion to the quality of life for the people of Onondaga County.

Health care has been the forefront of our country’s agenda for an UNGODLY amount of time. With Obamacare being pushed back till 2015, nationwide health coverage seems almost unimaginable. I find myself asking, why is this such a difficult decision for the world’s leading nation? It is our right to be healthy…right? 

For most of us health care dictates the majority of our life decisions and the quality of our life. It’s so strenuous to even get the needed care with coverage, and without the annoyance of feeling like a commodity by your doctor, I often wonder how people on the other side of the system are surviving.

For the last nine years, Dr. Triana has been a life savior to many. He is the owner of Compassionate Family Medicine with two branches one in Green Street in Syracuse and the other in North Syracuse, where he treats many of the members of the community that are not fortunate enough to have health care: a career choice that left many of his colleagues skeptical. His pursuit is unique, and something we should all emulate within our community and life.

At nine years old, Dr. Triana and his family moved to Brooklyn, NY from Ecuador in search of freedom via education. His sole inspiration as a human being and doctor stems from his family, who taught him the importance of helping the poor, spirituality, and education. “They can never take education away from you”,  his father would say. With a sixth grade education, his father and mother worked two factory jobs each to support their family and to provide the education they wished they had themselves. Throughout his life, Dr. Triana’s father reminded his family of two things: always help the poor and Do the right thing for the right reasons and God will provide.

On a daily basis Dr. Triana is faced with the difficulties of the streets such as poverty, STDs, hepatitis C, drug addictions, and violence. Many of his patients also suffer from anxiety and depression due to trauma and abuse they have experienced throughout their life. In many cases these experiences lead to their drug use and early adolescent problems. Despite these issues, Dr. Triana embraces all people and continuously treats them without condition. He says, “No one says I want to be a drug addict when I grow up. It’s not their fault.”

Although Dr. Triana is passionate, he is also realistic in his practice. He understands that fixing our community is not going happen over night. In his words, “It is a process” that will require more than just what his realm can provide. The reality is without proper mental health care and social services, the road to a better life will be tough for many.

The key to having a successful clinic is effective communication. By successfully breaking down the walls of trust, Dr. Triana and his colleagues have mastered the skills necessary to educate their patients on STDs and other issues, but his patients need more. They need direction, parenting, and guidance on how to stay out of jail, how to idealize the right things in life, and how to achieve ultimate success.

It’s not just his mission that makes Dr. Triana so honorable, but he is the embodiment of what America should value: education, compassion,  drive to make a change, patience, focus on equality, and a strong respect for life. He represents the obsoleteness of the American Dream that is becoming harder for us to achieve with less support for our youths and the shrinking of middle class America.

His biggest concern for the future he explained, “the children being brought into the world don’t have the structure to become solid human beings to be successful.” It is his belief that the modern family structure is fragmented; leaving many youths uneducated, in jail, and with less respect for life and their elders. What is his solution? In addition to better mental health and social services, Dr. Triana urges communities to take accountability for each other and work towards making small impacts that will lead to bigger differences. The Spanish translation of this article was provided by Joseph L. Ali. Bellow you will find a small introduction about the author, Sofia Crystal Williams…

Get Involved, Get In tune, and Get It Out

by Crystal Williams

The Voice of the People

CNY Latino presents a new column that represents the people of Central New York.

Hello Central New York! As CNY Latino’s new appointed columnist, let me begin by introducing myself. My name is Crystal and every month I will rock your world, get you pumped up, and challenge your way of thinking. Before we get to the good stuff, let me tell you a little bit about myself.

I was born and raised in Syracuse, NY by a very diverse and loving family. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in Music Industry, I returned home from college and I have been slowwwwly building my resume over the course of a couple years.

Throughout my life, I have experienced many different cultures that have given me a very unique perspective on life: one that I hope to share with my readers every month.

I am passionate about people, diversity, and living life to its fullest. As a person, I have always felt the need to find a deeper understanding of life by looking into the lives of others.

I believe that awareness of one’s self and others is the key to truly grasping the world in which we live in. Through the course of the upcoming months, my column will focus on the United States and how our current states of affairs have impacted various minority groups nationally and throughout Central New York.

Hopefully, I will be able to grow and help other people grow, but in the meantime, keep reading.

For questions, please email me at: crystalswilliams02@gmail.com