Call of duty transcends all odds

Ishan had been relentlessly consulting doctors at several institutions in New Delhi. Despite being turned away by so many hospitals, he didn’t give up and finally came to Frontier Lifeline Hospital. He had been suffering from the condition for the last 10 years and needed to undergo a heart and lung transplant. When he was admitted, he was in pretty bad shape but the investigations proved that he would be able to recover well enough with a heart transplant alone. “He was so young, but was clearly a fighter,” was Dr Cherian’s recollection upon meeting him. 

The search began for a suitable donor heart. As luck would have it, the life-changing call came at 10 pm that very night from a hospital in Vellore confirming the availability of a donor heart. 

The team from Frontier Lifeline Hospital reached Vellore Hospital and the donor heart was removed and delicately packed to be transported in the dedicated emergency vehicle in record time. 

The heart reached Chennai city’s outer limits and Dr Cherian was informed about the exact location of the vehicle. All arrangements had been made and the transplant co-ordinator had organised everything as per protocol.... or rather almost everything! Murphy’s Law decided to rear its unwanted head and alas, the 74-year-old surgeon found himself geared and waiting for his transportation, which never came! Even though there was a protocol in place to ensure that the principal surgeon is to be available at the hospital well ahead of time, there was no vehicle available for him to reach the hospital. But as they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going and Dr Cherian automatically decided to walk the empty streets from Kilpauk to Ambattur at 3am that morning. This was not going to stop him from reaching the hospital to conduct the transplant. He had walked around half a kilometre when he came across an auto driver who agreed to ply him to the hospital for Rs 400. “That’s when I realized that in haste, I had forgotten to take my wallet. I told him, I had no money, but I would pay him as soon as I reached the hospital. He looked at me with suspicion and didn’t believe me. He refused to take me and left.” 

A bit further, the doctor found another auto driver who readily agreed. “I told him exactly what I had told the other auto driver, but this man immediately started up his auto and asked me to get in. After reaching the hospital, I arranged for his fare to be paid with a grateful tip,” he said. 

All through the drive Dr Cherian couldn’t help pondering over this lesson in humanity. “Two auto drivers heard the same story from an old man. One refused, while the other agreed to help. The driver who agreed to bring me to the hospital had no idea that his timely gesture was going to save Ishan’s life.” The transplant procedure lasted for five hours and the patient was on support for the next 48 hours. 

After recovery, he went back to his hometown in UP, where a life full of hope and challenge awaited him. “He hails from a lower income household. I always said that he’s a fighter, but after he recuperates, Ishan has a bigger battle on his hands – this time against poverty,” ends Dr Cherian on a thoughtful note.