The first colony there were not many people but I was able to test everyone for diabetes today. I felt like a nurse!
Matthew had the opportunity to experience what life is like for a fireman. Here in India they burn trash on the side of the road but this one got carried away and almost burned the place we were working at. He grabbed pails of water and put out the fire. He saved the day! There was a nice man there being treated who said he loves to work hard and asked us if we would go see his shop down the street. We followed him and saw that he worked at a little store on the side of the road selling drinks and snacks. This kind man gave us free drinks and was so happy we came! His English was fairly good and he told us about the success of his sons and daughters like a proud father would. I felt bad when he told us he is all-alone now but his spirit was still full of joy. His selfless deed to give us drinks meant a lot to me.
As we drove to the next location I learned about why Dr. Kumar wanted to be a doctor and how he got to Rising Star. This man is so selfless and does the work he does because he loves the patients. He was offered to go work in Chennai at a very nice hospital and also do private practice where he would make much more money and lead a fancy life. Rising Star asked if he would come work for them for one month before he left to Chennai and during his time here is when he realized he wanted to be working with patients in colonies that can’t get health care anywhere else. The miracles he witnessed in one month were enough to make him realize this is where he was supposed to be. My favorite part about today was listening to his uplifting stories. The interesting thing is that in working with him earlier in the week it was hard to understand his English but today everything he said was very clear to me and he was easy to understand. I wonder if this was because the stories he shared were something I needed to here.
I asked him about the moral values that India has and he shared many interesting beliefs about Hinduism and how the North and South of India differ. It is just like in any religion how some are stricter than others. I am going to write a paper on India’s moral and ethical values; what I learned today really helped me have a better understanding of this culture.
A story he shared that touched me was about a man who was blinded my leprosy for the last 20 years. A doctor whose practice was in a hospital would not perform surgery on his eyes. The patient desperately needed a new lens in both of his eyes. Dr. Kumar patiently begged this doctor to perform surgery for two hours; he finally concluded yes as his answer. The reason why the doctor was so hesitant was because there were so many problems that he feared would happen throughout the procedure. Dr. Kumar showed up to this patient’s house uninvited to see how he was after surgery. The man asked why he was here and couldn’t understand why he was in his house. This man had his eyesight back from surgery and then soon realized he recognized Dr. Kumar’s voice and his eyes filled up with tears. He was crying so hard and told Dr. Kumar that because of his willingness to persuade the doctor to perform surgery he can now see his children, his home, nature, and his wife who is more beautiful than he ever remembered. I can’t imagine how rewarding his job is as a doctor to know that he is changing lives.
One man needed his legs to be amputated and this patient who was suffering could not find any doctor to do surgery. Here in India the government pays for any medical treatment but they were only willing to do one of this mans legs. Completely hopeless and on one last wish he called Dr. Kumar. Dr. Kumar answered the phone and called the doctor to tell him he would pay for the medical procedure to be done and any complications that may occur. This patient was able to have both legs amputated and called Dr. Kumar after to tell him that if he would not have answered the phone that die he was planning on jumping in front of a train to kill himself. He was tired of living life as he was and wanted Dr. Kumar to know that because of him he is still alive. I held back the tears and couldn’t believe what I had just heard. This man has made prosthetic legs out of carpet and twigs. They saw him in the colony just the other day and gave him crutches, which he was so happy to have.
Dr. Kumar and his wife have made it so people who can’t make it to hospitals for treatment now have a chance for a better life. He drives to all these different colonies to treat these people and it is not for the money. I love seeing and hearing the progress these patients make after only months. He is able to have 200 patients a day where many other doctors never get to experience this.
These stories have taught me to go the extra mile in life and whatever job I have I need to do because of the love that is in my heart. Money can take you places and buy you nice things but that is only temporary. I have learned today if you learn to love the people you work with in any career you will learn much more about them and life that will be indefinitely meaningful. It will be something I can take and cherish the rest of my life. I want to not just perform the tasks I am given but try and always leave people better than when I found them.
Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.
Mohandas Gandhi
Tonight I played football with the kids and felt like an old grandma. These kids were counting on me to block Matthew because we are the same height. I was warn out!
Later after dinner we had a little dance party in their room. They love when I pick them up and fly them around the room. I noticed a little boy in the corner trying to sleep but his coughing was keeping him awake. I went over to see if he was alright and he threw up. I carried him outside and he threw up twice more. I felt so bad for him and he couldn’t speak any English. His housemother tried to help but she walked away about to throw up after seeing his own. I just kept thinking this is a mess ha. I washed his hands and face then put him to sleep in a room where nobody could bother him. It is so rewarding putting around 20 little boys to sleep every night. Last night I forgot to mention that I had three little boys fall asleep on me. One was on my lap, another on my stomach, and the last one on my shoulder. These children thrive for motherly love because they are away from their families for such a long time. My favorite thing is getting goodnight kisses from the little ones. Making eye contact with others and seeing their faces light up brings me so much joy.
I am grateful for the experiences I had today and the things I continue to learn. These weeks are going by way too fast and I wish I could make time stand still. Tomorrow we leave for a weekend trip to see the Taj Mahal and other sights. I will not be blogging for the next couple of days. When I get back I am excited to share the events that took place and share the sights I have seen!
