One interesting feature of jasmine flowers in our garden, is the fragrance they share from the time the buds open to be flowers till they turn brown and fall off the stem. Fragrance is its natural habit. The flowers live their life time sharing their fragrance! In fact, in a garden where there are jasmine flowers, the air is filled with their fragrance.
Two verses in the New Testament of the Bible in the epistle of Colossians, chapter 3, verse 12 and 13 come to my mind about the habit to which we are called to live among each otter: '...put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other..' !
I recall two resident doctors from MOSC Medical College, who came to discuss a child admitted in the children's ward for seizure. During the discussion it occurred to me that the child had a recurrent seizure, because the family did not have money to buy medicines. The child did not have a change of clothes during the four days of stay in the hospital. The mother was alone with the child. The father came late in the evening with a packet of food, which was the only supply of the food, the mother had during the day for herself and the child.
The residents having found out this went to the market to get two sets of dress for the child and arranged for three meals for the mother during the hospital stay and bought medicine for the child for a month. They arranged medicine for every month for the child. While complementing the residents for their kindness, one of them said: 'We are training to be children's doctors. We realised from this instance of a child having breakthrough seizures because parents were not able to buy medicines due to finical stress, that kindness and thoughtfulness ought to be our habit as children's doctors'! I felt moved by the spontaneous response of those residents.
A month later when the family returned to receive the medicines, one of the residents brought the child and mother to meet me. Even that was another act of kindness!
The nature of the jasmine flowers is to be fragrant!
As health care professionals, we are to be kind hearted towards those who come to us with their needs.
I remember hearing from late Dr Paul Brand, who worked at CMC Vellore that he felt moved to think of reconstructive surgery of the hand, for patients who lost fingers due to Leprosy, when he noticed it, while one patient shook his hands with absent fingers at Chingelpet leprosarium. He spent the next fifteen years, developing different surgical approaches to reconstruct hands and feet of those who suffered from auto amputation of fingers and toes due to leprosy. Professors Edward Gault, C.K.Job and Earnest Fritchi were his collaborators in this pathfinding pioneering work. He overcame his initial fear of contracting leprosy and laboured heartily to bring hope and comfort to many.
I feel touched by the kindness that CMC Vellore offered to Dr Brand to acknowledge his self giving contribution to health care. Two buildings and the department of hand surgery are named after him in the town campus.
The aroma of goodness and kindness!
I feel moved and inspired!
Life is such an opportunity to be an offering of love, humility and kindness!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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