The Gift of Giving

One day his Professor Dr. MP Pai gave Dr. Cherian an envelope after he had assisted the professor in a hernia repair in a private nursing home.  Tired after a hectic day he just slipped it into his pocket. Later he checked the envelope to find Rs. 15/-.  He rushed back to Dr. Pai and said he could not take money for performing his professional duty as a student.  Dr. Pai told Dr. Cherian to treat it as his first salary, saying Cherian, this is Lakshmi (the Hindu Goddess of Wealth). In life, you should never go after Lakshmi, always go after Saraswathi (the Goddess of Knowledge), then Lakshmi will be after you.  These words changed Dr. Cherian’s outlook on life, money and medicine. Next day in the surgical outpatient clinic, a frantic man came running in carrying a child of about 12. The girl had suffered burns throughout her body except her face. After cleaning the wounds, Dr Cherian wrote a prescription for 5 bottles of IV saline to replace the loss of fluids and two days’ dosage of crystalline penicillin to fight infection, the best available antibiotic then. The father started crying saying that he did not have any money left for medicines. 

Dr. Cherian, a student, was not used to having much money either. As he was wondering what to do, he suddenly remembered Dr. Pai’s fee in his pocket. He gave the money to the girl’s father to buy medicines without a moment’s hesitation. The grateful father left, thanking the doctor. After the patient was shifted to the main hospital, Dr. Cherian forgot about the incident. About 6 months later when he was in the same surgical outpatient clinic, a Muslim family approached him. Though the man looked familiar, Dr. Cherian could not place him. The man introduced his family and said his daughter had something for the doctor. 

Ayesha, the beautiful, healthy girl in a burqa, was the girl Dr. Cherian had treated for burns. She shyly thrust a packet wrapped in a Kannada newspaper to the doctor. The father said, when we left, you were not here but she has never forgotten you and what you did for her. Ever since we went home, she has been collecting cashew nuts, frying and shelling them to bring you the best Kasergode cashew nuts. Dr. Cherian was profoundly moved by the little girl’s action. He recalls, “The Rs 15/- was my first monetary reward as a professional, as well as my first personal contribution to improve someone’s health or life. This incident influenced Dr. Cherian’s outlook so deeply that he routinely conducts free surgical camps in India and abroad as he finds immense satisfaction in rendering service without expectation. The fruits of righteous toil are truly sweet.