A piece of you, for peace of life....

Should I do it ?

Yes, you should.

What if he gets killed ?

On the contrary, what if he lives ?

Am I doing the right thing ?

You did it with the pigs, successfully.

They are pigs, this is human.

You’re gifting him a life.

These are some of the questions that the two halves of his mind speak as he gets ready to perform the surgery, the first of its kind. On one side, he is a confident surgeon, sure of his success, and very well aware that his success will create a medical miracle and a path for many to follow. On the other, he battles self doubt. The negatives of ‘what if’ loom large in front of his eyes.

A battle of thoughts and emotions later, he goes ahead and does what his medical ethics ask him to do - to try saving a life if he can.

After nine hours of work involving a team of thirty people , Dr Christiaan Barnard created history , Louis Washkansky became the world’s first recipient and Denise Darvall, the first donor.

Yes, the world’s first successful human heart transplant , this was , way back in 1967.

(In italics  above is the crux of what he thought , as he prepared himself for the surgery, as revealed in his book, One Life).

She was just 16 then. And her liver was threatening to make her bid good-bye to the beautiful world around her. But she wanted to live. She could, if she got her liver replaced.

Frantic searches for donors. Taking samples. Tests. More tests. Trying for the best match. Failures.  Repeating the cycle.

Her parents couldn’t , but her aunt came forth, ready to donate a piece of her liver to her niece. Miraculously, she was found to be the perfect match as a donor.

And then, law hindered. Legal hindrances seemed insurmountable at one point of time.

But fate wouldn’t let them fail. 

The story came to the attention of the society, and the Chief Minister of the state himself came forward to sort out the legal glitches and give a ‘ go-ahead’ for the surgery.

Prayers. Financial help. More prayers.

And finally, she started her journey towards life again. From a point where she would have fallen, but for the timely intervention of her aunt, and her magnanimity.

Swathi Krishna is now 19, and pursuing her graduation in Commerce from Ernakulam, Kerala. She’s currently getting trained in Classical dance forms too, as a part of her health regimen.

You  have two sons, and you’ve been raising them alone ever since they lost their father. They’re so loving, the sole joy in your life. One fine evening, the bike that they ride falls prey to an accident, killing the younger

of the two, and leaving the elder one battling for his life. To say that you’re shattered would be a grave understatement, and the next evening , you receive news that the elder son is brain-dead.

What do you do when fate plays this cruel game ?

No, you don’t fall down. You rise up in the face of the threatening grief, and you decide that your son will live through three other people.

You donate his liver, and two kidneys.

We salute you, Rajeena Ma’m, for being a strong woman, and a stronger mother.

Well, these are just two of the many inspiring stories on Organ Donation.

Would you like to read more ? Please do.

And now for a personal story (cutting short a long painful one, of course).

My aunt had received a kidney in a successful transplant, almost 16 years back. She had started living her life normally after that, but we lost her two years later. Even as we mourned at the loss, we were thankful that she had actually received an extended lease of life because of the kind-hearted lady who had donated her the kidney.

Ever since, organ donation has been a topic close to my heart.

God creates life, mother’s womb nurtures it, and brings it out. We grow.

Every single thing about our body is a miracle.

We all are miracles, that way. So when someone’s miracle doesn’t function properly, isn’t it a good thing that we have the power to set it right for them ?

How ?  By donating our organs. That would bring solace to so many aching hearts across the world.

We all know about blood donation, and have read enough and more on how the precious liquid saves lives. We are aware of blood banks too.

How about organ banks ?

I am.

We are.

Organ banks.

Who have been blessed with a good, healthy body, whose organs can help someone gain a new life, even after the heart has stopped beating and blood has stopped flowing.

Donating an organ is donating a life.

Imagine how many people can feel the difference in their lives if just one person donates all his organs -  eyes, heart, liver, kidneys, bone marrow, tissues…. isn’t that great ? :)

So, if we all decide to be donors, imagine the massive change it shall bring in the world around us !

True, little drops of water do make a mighty ocean.

And for this, let’s take care of our health. Obviously, we cannot donate something unless that is in proper condition, so let’s vow to ourselves that when we donate , we’ll donate them in as perfect a condition as we can.  Because, as I said,  we all are ‘Organ Banks’. The more we care for ourselves, the more our organs can be of help to someone else, after we bid goodbye to the world.

To answer the question that might have popped up by now, no, I haven’t registered yet as an organ donor. But I will. That’s a promise to myself.

No, not for an eternal life. 

But to add my drop of happiness to someone who might need it. And for the immense joy of being able to give :)

I’ll add a piece of myself to someone to add peace to his or her life !

So, how about adding yours ?

The Cure !!

The young boy sitting on the sidewalk was repeating the same thing for the past five minutes.

His palm on his cheek. Then on his knees.

Cheek, Knee.

Cheek ,Knee.

“ What are you doing ? “, he asked the child.

“ Putting mommy’s kisses on my knees. I hurt myself while playing. Mommy says her kisses protect me always. I’m putting them on my knees”, the boy chirped.

 He felt his heart begin to heal…

“I was tempted to end my own life ! Why should I, God, when you’re with me !”, he cried.

He'd seen the right path, his faith back in action !

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This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.
This week's challenge is that the post must contain , " I was tempted."

Linking this to 100 Words on Saturday 2014 # 9 at Write Tribe.

 

The Beginning.....

Today I’ll begin to travel back,

Back through the embers of time;

Time has bequeathed a lot of lessons,

Lessons that make the heart chime…..

Today I’ll begin to count my riches

Riches that fill me with bliss;

Bliss so supreme, so full of glory,

Glory that I’ll never want to miss…..

Today I’ll begin to live my thoughts,

Thoughts that flavour my senses       

Senses which form my hours and days,

Days with no pretences……

Today I’ll begin to grow my wings,

Wings will help me soar high ;

High up above the birds and clouds,

Clouds that line the blue sky….

Today I’ll begin to shine the light,

Light that lives in my soul;

Soul so vibrant, so full of love,

Love that makes me whole…..

Today I’ll begin to nourish my life,

Life that’s precious and small;

Small , yet big to achieve my dreams, 

Dreams make me live, after all !

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This is a Loop Poetry. Read two other versions here and here.

 

Linking this to Wednesday Prompt 2014 # 10 at Write Tribe.

Some Women's Day Thoughts !

Inspiring Change !

In a world where women are gaining greater heights, the International Women's Day 2014 comes with this theme.
Very apt, I would say, because we are still fighting for reservation and equality, and teaming up against dowry, rape, sexual abuse,child labour and child marriage along with the ever-present evils of poverty and casteism and what not.

Why not think of bringing in the change we want to see ? That's a proactive, responsive thought, is it not ?

That's what Subhasini Mistry thought.

For a woman who was thrown into widowhood when she was just 23, with four hungry mouths yearning for a morsel of food, just because she couldn't afford proper medical treatment for her ailing husband, life didn't come easy. She wasn't educated, yet, she had what most women would've lacked at that time. Determination immeasurable.
She took up any job that she could do, literally anything .
From being a housemaid, to a vegetable seller, to helping with brick laying that was physically demanding and challenging, she worked, toiled hard and saved every single penny she could, spending just the bare minimum to keep them alive. Her sons helped her in brick laying, and supplemented her income with theirs.

All for just one purpose.

The young widow had promised herself that she would build a hospital for the needy, so that many others would be spared the sorrow that she had had to bear.

And that she would educate one of her sons to become a doctor.

She achieved both her dreams.


The Humanity Hospital , near Hanspukur , Kolkata, stands testimony to one thing above all.
The change that a single woman's grit and will power can accomplish in the world !

Read her story here. And salute her resolve.

Wait.

We can even emulate her, can't we ?
Just by utilising what we have to the best possible extent. Just by ensuring that our talents don't get wasted away, however small it many seem. Just by being ourselves, and much much beyond that !!

From Subhasini Mistry, I shift my focus to one woman who has it all.
The will, the knowledge, the courage and the ability to achieve her dreams.

It might be that all her powers are so hidden in her that she doesn't seem to recognise them, or it might be that she's aware of it, but is afraid of the society, or her family, or anything else that she finds intimidating.
Or it might be the fear of failure that holds her back.
Or rejection, may be.
It might even be the lack of encouragement, or the feeling of 'being too old' for anything.

Well, you all know the woman I'm speaking about, haven't you guessed ?

You have seen her at least once in your life. With at least one of those traits evident.

Yes, I'm not naming her, I'm sure your guess is right.

So, this Women's Day, let's take all possible steps to release her. It's better late, than never !

She can try,
She can fly.
She can touch the sky !!

A Happy Women's Day to all gorgeous women, and to those wonderful men in our lives !!

Stay Blessed :-)

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The Write Tribe Festival of Words 3 ends today. Check out the wonderful entries for the day's challenge here. We are winding up this edition with the Women's Day !

AMHA !!

Aah ! Is there anything in the world around , that doesn’t inspire us in some way ? I guess not. From the tiny ant to the mighty elephant, from the shaking leaf to the large tree, inspiration comes in all possible ways. Most of the time we aren’t aware of it, but the truth is that our subconscious learns a lot from the world around, and that influences our lives in many ways. We all have something to learn from each other, the hows and how nots, the whys and why nots of life.

When the Write Tribe challenged us to tell an inspirational story, I thought of many people I knew, who could be spoken about. And I came to rest at the thought of one person.

I belong to Thrissur, the perfect centre of Kerala. In this small city built around a 65 Acre hillock, lives a strong willed woman, a teacher, who has made and continues to make a big difference in the lives of the mentally challenged.

Meet Dr Bhanumathi, Professor of Zoology, Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur  - the founder of AMHA ; Association for Mentally Handicapped Adults.

Born as the youngest child to an affluent farmer-father, Dr Bhanumathi was well aware from very early that she had to take care of her mentally challenged siblings once she grew up. Her mother took care of them when they were young, and the young Bhanumathi knew that one day she will have to take over the responsibility from her mother. She was also aware that even though her family could afford to employ a help to take care of her brothers, many families couldn’t do that because of financial, emotional and social constraints. So, she had decided early in her life that she would start a home for the mentally challenged people, once she gained financial independence.

The triggering point was, however, personally painful for her. One of her mentally challenged brothers died on her lap, after being rejected by a doctor who seemed to think that he didn’t deserve human consideration because he was mentally challenged. This hurt Bhanumathi and strengthened her resolve , which ultimately resulted in her founding AMHA in 1997.

She began the institution as a school  with just 3 students, and as word spread around, it increased to 18.

None of the initial crunches like lack of support or funds affected her strong purpose of mind, and things started getting better in some time when the newspapers and television channels started showcasing her efforts. Slowly, AMHA started gaining strong ground in the society.

From a small classroom with 3 students, AMHA has grown into a Charitable organisation, with 55 mentally challenged students getting help, love, care, recognition and on-hands work experience. Dr Bhanumathi decided against having her own children, treating every single child who came to AMHA as her own. Her brothers are also among the inmates of AMHA.

Even though AMHA functions at my hometown, I hadn’t heard of AMHA till I reached college. I knew Dr Bhanumathi as a teacher in one of the best colleges in our town ( though I was a student in another best college :D :D ) but more knowledge about AMHA came later.

Since then, she’s inspired me, to believe that nothing is impossible  and in the big wide world, every single human being deserves to be treated with equal respect, love and care.

Give love in plenty, and you’ll receive it back in abundance, so that you can give more !

Gulf News , the leading daily in UAE highlighted her and AMHA in 2010. Read the full story here.

And yes, AMHA is on Facebook, too !!

I wish her all success in the years to come :-)

   

That’s the story for the day, hope you found it as inspiring as I did.

Stay blessed !

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The Write Tribe Festival of Words 3 is on ! Join us in this wonderful journey through words !!

Linking this to Day 5 , the challenge being sharing an inspiring story.

Read some wonderful entries here.

Love is never lost.....

“ Roby, I’m bringing little John home tomorrow, after signing the papers,” Rebecca spoke to Robert, as he looked at her with a smile.

“Fr. Patrick was really so surprised and happy, when I chose little John; he needs our love as much as Ronald did , you see”, she said.

Tears welled up in Rebecca’s eyes, as she thought of Ronald, Robert’s younger brother.

He was a young boy of fifteen at the time of Rebecca’s marriage to Robert, and she had loved him as her own son from her very first day in the family.

The real cornucopia of patience that she had been blessed with since her childhood  helped her care for Ronald, the way his physical challenges demanded.

Despite all the care, love and prayers, the inevitable loss that had happened two years back, left her life in a void, longing for some love.

“ I’m sure we can give little John as much love , care and happiness as we gave Ronald,” Rebecca said, looking at Robert with moist eyes.

“ You took Ronald with you, when you left ; don’t you think I need someone to love and care for as long as I’m here, to have a life of purpose?”, she questioned Robert, smiling through her sadness.

Robert continued to look at her with a smile on his face, from behind the frames of his photograph.
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 The first part of Rebecca's story can be read here.

The Write Tribe Festival of Words- 3 has begun ! Join us as we journey through a maze of words till the 8th of March, weaving our way out with a fresh challenge each day :)

Linking this to the post for Day 1, the challenge being a "9-sentences fiction". More details on the prompt for the day ,and some wonderful commenting tips can be found in this post.

God was with her....

This was her hope and prayer, she somehow wanted to make it.

But the lady in the pink sari looked at her with contempt writ large on her eyes, sarcasm lacing her voice, annoyance and irritation dripping from every inch of her face.

“ 88 % Marks ? And you think you stand a chance among our elite students? I am sorry, I wouldn’t even dream of applying in our school, if I got just 88% in my tenth, and never at all for the Science group. I wonder what made you think you can seek an admission here for the Eleventh ! Our seats are reserved for the best of brains here. We have no seat for you. Better look out for some schools who can actually take you in for your low marks. ”  

Saying this, the Principal glanced at her deputy. The latter smirked.

So that was it. She wouldn’t get a seat there.

It was the year 2000.  She had just returned to her home town in Kerala, after clearing her Secondary School with 88 % marks from the National Capital where her father had been working, and had wanted to join her alma mater, the school where she had been a student before. She loved the school, she longed to be back in its cradle, to relive her wonderful days of learning there.
But she had just been turned down.

What hurt her most was not the rejection, or the prospect of seeking admission elsewhere , or her marks being called low. She had enough faith in herself. What troubled her was the behavior she had to endure from the Principal. This wasn’t the way a teacher was expected to behave. She had no rights whatsoever to discourage someone in so harsh a manner. She could've done it politely and peacefully. Yet she had made her feel sorry for having come there.
This hurt her. 
She glanced at her mother who was sitting next to her, and got up from her seat.

“ Thank you, Ma’m. Sorry for troubling you,”, she said.

As she turned to leave, she made a silent promise to herself. A promise of redemption.

God wouldn’t let her fail, would he ?

She applied in many other Government schools, and a few turned her down as their seats were full, and some shortlisted her as the 100^th or 150^th in waiting, because there were many students like her, waiting to get into schools after their Board exams.

One day, she received a call from a school run by nuns. She was happy at last, as she got the call even though she was 150^th in their list. She waited in anticipation in their auditorium as they were calling out the names of girls who had made it to their roll, straining to hear her name being called.

When they reached the 141^st name on the list, the seats got filled and further admissions were cancelled. She was asked to return.

She had lost again. Her tears were silent, this time too.

But, wait. God wouldn’t let her fail, would he ?

That evening, the State Minister of Education announced that further seats had been granted to all schools affiliated to the Government, owing to the growing demand and the school she had been to that morning was the first on the list.

She was called again the next day and admitted to the Commerce Stream. By then, she had composed herself to accept any stream of subjects she could get into, as she knew she could make it work.

The next two years were a challenge in her life. She valued her opportunity to study as a chance which many had not been blessed with, and she worked hard to prove her mettle. She took part in competitions, represented her School at the State Level Contests in Elocutions, Declamations and Writing Contests and won prizes. At the end of two years, she wrote her Pre-University Boards.

Despite all the efforts she had put in, the fear lurked in the back of her mind, had she not done enough? What if her marks weren’t enough to take her to a good college ? What if she had to face the likes of the Principal woman, like she did two years ago  ? What if disappointment awaited her ?

God wouldn’t let her fail, would he ?

June 20^th, 2002.

The results of Pre-University Boards for Kerala were declared on this day, at a press conference by the State Minister of Education.

She had topped the State in the Commerce Stream and was declared ‘ The First Rank Holder’ for the year.

Her sweet vengeance was complete. No one would now tell her she wasn’t worth being admitted to any college. She had an answer for all of them.

Three years later, now a graduate in Commerce, she enrolled for Chartered Accountancy. Her father had again been transferred to a far-off city, and this time she couldn’t accompany him as she and her mother had to take care of her ailing grandfather at home. She couldn’t join classes either, as she had to travel to the next city for the same. Staying away from home wasn’t an option she could choose, given her circumstances.

God wouldn’t let her fail, would he ?

She chose to do her own studies along with her internship, and with enough support from her parents, grandparents, her college lecturers and mentors, she cleared her CA exams.
In one go.

God hadn’t let her fail.
He had been with her.
Has been with her.
And, will be with her.






This is a true story. No prizes for guessing the ‘She’ here :-)==============================================================
This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda. We give out themes for creative writing each weekend for Indian bloggers.

This time your entry has to have one sentence that is repeated at least thrice in your post.

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The girl called Kaumudi !! - UBC Post 3

Another  October 2^nd has whizzed past as usual.

Most of the Indians remembered Gandhiji on this day – the one Indian who made India possible.
The half-naked fakir ( as addressed by Winston Churchill ), who proved to the world the glorious path of Non-Violence.
Mahatma. The Great Soul.

Some of us remembered another great Indian soul, who shares his Birthday with the Mahatma.
The second Prime Minister of India, the national hero under whose premiership India tasted victory in the Indo-Pak War of 1965.
The staunch Gandhian-turned-Nehruvian Socialist, who exhorted the country to ‘ Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer’ ( Jai Jawan Jai Kissan) as the life of India.
Lal Bahadur 'Shastri'.

Much has been written and spoken about both of them.

This post is not about them.

It is about a 16-year old girl from the village of Vayakkara, in Kannur ( ‘Cannanore’ being the official name being used by the Indian Railways) , in Kerala.
Her story dates back to the 1934.
This incident takes place at Vatakara , which is at present a part of Calicut in Kerala.
Gandhiji has been working on the upliftment of the so-called untouchables, who, he insists, should be called ‘Harijans’.
He wants to raise funds for the activities , and also create awareness among the people about the sinful act of untouchability.
He reaches Vatakara as a part of his campaign to address a meeting there.
He talks to the crowd that has gathered, about his cause in general and the Harijan Sahaya Samithi for which he is raising funds.
His speech moves the masses and once he finishes his speech, the people approach him one by one to donate whatever little money or jewels they have for his cause.
That’s when Kaumudi walks up to him.
As the Mahatma looks curiously at the 16-year old, she removes all the gold ornaments she’s wearing and hands it over to him.
He asks her if her parents have permitted her to do this, and her father who is present there, ratifies her action.
He then says that she’s not to get her ornaments replaced, to which she readily agrees.

He asks her again, “  Then what will you do if you give me all this” ?
She replies, “ I will wait till someone comes to marry me and not my gold.”
The Mahatma then voices a “what if no such person comes”, to which she says, “ I wouldn’t marry”.

He gives her his autograph, “ Tumhara tyag hi tumhara bhushan hoga” ! ( Your sacrifice will be your best ornament! )

He blesses her, and appreciates her faith on the ideology.
Later, he writes in his Journal, an article titled ‘Kaumudi’s Renunciation’.

From that 16 year old girl, Kaumudi grows up to become the first Hindi teacher of Malabar and retires after a successful teaching career in 1972. People affectionately call her, Kaumudi teacher :-)

The camera now zooms to the year 2009.
This is a humble home in Kadachira town in Kannur, where Kaumudi has been staying with her brother for the past few years, .
This is the  4^th of August.
Just 10 days before the nation turns 62, Kaumudi breathes her last.
True to her word to the Mahatma, she’s not married.



I remember her, as yet another Gandhi Jayanthi goes by.

Hats off to you, Kaumudi teacher !
You are really kaumudi  ( the word means Moon light ! ) to many of us !!


* Image courtesy - Google.
* That part of the conversation where she speaks about her marriage is from what I heard on her interview some years before her death. She said that when the interviewer asked her the reason behind her staying unmarried.