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Sister Gives A Gift of Life |
The Hindu festival of "Raksha Bandhan" (observed on August 3 this year) celebrates the bonds between brothers and sisters - emotive, spiritual and psychological. By the tying of the symbolic thread (raakhi) around her real or symbolic brother's wrist, a sister is promised protection by the brother. And because of its strong significance, a sister and brother would do almost anything for the protection and well being of the other.
An supreme example of this bond was demonstrated about two and a half months ago, when a true-to-the-life sister came to her brother's rescue, in the noblest of ways.
Some time ago, Richmond Hill businessman, Lal Somwaru was given six months to live. With only 10 % and 5% usage of his kidneys, respectively, he "knew" his kidneys weren't "going to last," said Lal during an interview with this paper.
"I started having symptoms such as a funny taste in my mouth, suffering from memory lost, and all," he said. At this, point he called the doctor and was immediately admitted to the hospital.
By this time, his body was not only getting weaker but could not stand the rigorous treatment [dialysis] any longer, which he had been taking at least three times a week until May 3, 2001.
As the search for an organ donor seemed to be getting nowhere the family stepped in and insisted that he accept an organ donation from a younger sister Indra Nagaraj. "I was hesitantI wasn't quite ready to accept [an organ] from a live donorI was hoping to get a [deceased person's] kidney, because it's punishment on someone else," Lal said. But "I take it as part of my karmait's part of my existence to be this way."
Though other choices were available, at a much cheaper fee, in India and Pakistan, Lal refused because "I was not sure if it would match, it's not legal, and I did not want it [the purchasing of a poor persons' organ] on my conscience."
So little sister Indra it was. For the next six months there were vigorous testing, counseling, EKG, X-ray, etcand discussion with the family before the day of the operation.
"Indra's blood pressure went upshe was so nervous that her pressure would not go down," said Lal. "Her pressure needed to be normal before the operation. the doctors would not put a donor at risk."
It is important that the "donor must be 100% positive in thoughts, and willing, with no second thoughts, about giving, while, on the other hand, the receiver must accept whole heartedly in order for the body to successfully accept the new organ," stated Lal, " because the organs do communicate."
With at least a year to go on the road to recovery, there are still symptoms like "little shocks and strange cravings or attitude changes that you have to live with. You will be amazed to learn how true it is when they say that these organs communicate with each other," Lal continued, referring to the new habits and feelings he's been experiencing.
But physical changes are the nothing compared to the emotive change - the gift of new life as a result of a loving sister's 'raakhi'. And so, for the Somwaru family Raksha Bandhan and all that it connotes now had potent meaning.