Living with Hiroshima

People Who Healed Hiroshima

Atomic bombs are different from conventional bombs in three points--heat rays, blast and radiation. I’m not a scientist, but if I tell whatever I know, it will be a long story.
　
The temperature of the huge fireball formed after the A-bomb exploded 600m above the ground was 300,000℃, and at the hypocenter on the ground, 6,000℃. If you imagine these estimates, you would understand that the expression, “The city of Hiroshima was completely destroyed” is not an exaggeration.

Each survivor had deep injuries on his body and in his mind. People who had burns by heat rays and developed keloid scars avoided being in public, wearing long-sleeved clothes even in summer, covering themselves with a scarf or holding a parasol.

I became a junior high school student in 1949. On my way to school, I often saw girl students with ugly keloid scars on their whole faces. I always passed them by with my face down.

In 1955, ten years after the A-bombing, ten women who had developed serious keloid scars were to go to New York to have operations in Mount Sinai Hospital. Rev. Kiyoshi Tanimoto of the Christian Methodist Nagarekawa Church, Norman Cousins and others were instrumental to realize this project. It was widely covered by the news media that the women flew in a military airplane from the U.S. Iwakuni Base. When I saw a picture in the paper, I was relieved to know that the woman who I had in my mind went for an operation. Later I learned in the news that after the operation she was adopted by Mr. Norman Cousins and moved to Los Angeles.

It has been 50 years since then.
On the early morning of April 29, 2005, as soon as I saw her at the hotel lobby in New York, I ran up to her and took her hand. She was surprised and stared at my face and said, “How do you do? My name is Shigeko Sasamori.” As I noticed that we met for the first time, we exchanged greetings again.

On May 2, Mr. Okada, a journalist of Chugoku Shinbun Newspaper, and I visited Mount Sinai Hospital, north of Central Park. Although the staff who had worked in the hospital when Ms. Sasamori had an operation were not there anymore, we received courteous hospitality from the hospital.

Mr. Okada said first, “This hospital taught Hiroshima reconciliation.” Doctors who met us told the whole story, showing us their observations then. They explained that this hospital was a private one run by the Quakers, and that the treatment for these women was significant in the history of the hospital; that is to say, it was the beginning of a relief operation of war victims.

Hearing the doctor’s words, “Now there are more than 12,000 patients related to 9/11,” I felt as if I saw a sickening part deeply lying in the States.

Ms. Sasamori said,“I stayed at a civilian home and received a lot of financial and psychological support at that time,” looking into her memories with deep emotion.

at Mt.Sinai Hospital (by Chugoku Shinbun)