One look at her, one conversation with her, one experience with her is all someone needs to get an idea of the inner strength, self-confidence, determination, passion and energy of Dr. Gina Watson.

Dr. Watson, who was appointed PAHO Representative for Barbados and the OECS a few years ago, is known for her many accomplishments and achievements. She is a humble person, willing to share comforting words, advice or even lend an ear.

Many say it is a result of her very challenging life, including a near-death experience. She has fended off the Grim Reaper when he came visiting during a devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of thousands. She has also survived hurricanes and volcanoes and repeatedly stumbling through mind-wracking revolutions and war, yet always landing on her feet.

"I have learnt that giving up is like closing one’s eyes and accepting defeat or death and I am not like that.

"I believe that one should fight until the end and that is how I live my life everyday," she said.

Dr Watson is Nicaraguan and claims her Jamaican roots. Her grandparents left their homeland more than a century ago as Christian missionaries to South America.

"I must admit that working in the Caribbean is a dream come through for me as it allows me to reconnect with my Caribbean roots while at the same time I am able to make a meaningful contribution to the development of the region," she said.

"I guess that is why I am this tough and resilient. In Nicaragua, I have been through a lot and have experienced a lot," she said. She recalled one life-changing incident which took place on Christmas Eve in 1972.

"I was just 16 years old and living in the capital city of Managua. My family and I had been preparing all day for relatives and friends who would be visiting for the holidays.

"The fragrant aroma of home-baked cakes and cookies kneaded and patted and shaped into delicious treats hung everywhere.

"I was really exhausted so I went to bed; however in less than an hour I was awakened by persistent and very loud sounds of rumble. This was very terrifying for me as I was young and had never experienced anything like it before. I thought it might have been an earthquake, I did not know what to expect next."

It was the first of two major tremors that shook her country’s capital and within minutes her home was completely destroyed, leaving her lying in a pile of stone and rubble.

"As a 16-year-old I was not sure as to what next to expect. I was really devastated, depressed and emotionally destroyed. The damage left me uncertain about the future. Despite the enormous damage and all that had happened to my family, we praised God as none of us died," she said.

The pain of earthquakes are different but waking up to find yourself in a place where you are only surrounded by dead bodies, injured individuals and almost everything completely destroyed is more than what anyone can imagine much less to bear. That evening, over 20,000 persons died and thousands more were injured

After surviving such an ordeal, the Barbados and OECS PAHO representative has come to the realisation that it is futile to place emphasis on the temporal things of this life which can be lost in a moment.

"We need to recognise that life has so many turns and as such we must be prepared to face them. Facing one’s mortality on a continuous basis is critically important and when that is achieved then you start appreciating more core values in life," she said.

Dr. Watson firmly believes that while one can lose material things, it was important never to lose your reputation.

Other natural hazards she experienced in Central America were hurricanes – many of them – but it was Hurricane Mitch that left the greatest scars because the feet of rain which Mitch dumped on the country triggered huge land – and mudslides which buried whole villages killing thousands of people.

"Experiencing Hurricane Mitch was really devastating as it was like being led to one’s execution, it was really devastating and heartbreaking," she said.

The tough times have challenged her to be resilient, determined, committed and focused rather than becoming weak and bitter.

"I have grown to accept the challenges and disappointments in life as it all serves to strengthen me thus making me stronger for bigger challenges and obstacles in life as life without these will certainly have nothing to offer," she stated.

She added that the greatest benefits of her experiences have been education. "I am more educated on the issues of life as I have been through a lot. I believe that I am capable of handling even the most difficult situation and thank God as I am also capable of assisting others in dealing with some of their situations as well. "Everything that I faced in life regardless of the extent or nature it has assisted me positively in the end as I am stronger and more determined when pursuing after goals."

Dr. Watson believes that our circumstances should reveal our purposes in life. She decided to become a medical doctor so as to be able to help the people of her country.

"We made choices as we wanted to help knowing that the best people to help us were ourselves. It is always important for one to understand that the issues of what is their social responsibility and duty in regards to the need of their people; we knew what had to be done and so we took the requisite action," she said.

Dr. Watson received her General Physician in Medicine and Surgery Degree in 1980 from the National Autonomous University in Leon, Nicaragua. She gained her master’s in public health, with a major in health administration from the Centre for Studies and Research in 1983.

She gained a second master’s in mental health, human and social sciences, from the University of Leon in Spain. In 1996, she was appointed Advisor on Health Services Development in Panama. Five years later she accepted a post in Trinidad & Tobago as Advisor on Health Promotion before taking up her new post with PAHO in Barbados.

"I believe anyone can achieve anything in life regardless of their circumstances and that has been what I have lived my entire life upon because as you get older you will realize that true success comes as a result of real hard work, commitment and most importantly sacrifices."