Monday, April 25, 2016

Selflessness, Humility and Nobility... Dr Adeeb Rizvi

SELFLESSNESS,HUMILITY AND NOBILITY

marks of an honorable person

There is a Chinese saying“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime help others"!

This morning a friend told me a very tragic but a moving true story which made me realize that there are still so many noble people in Pakistan who know very well how to take care of each other.

It's the story of a old retired college professor who worked hard all his life, raised 5 children, one son and four daughters. His daughters are all settled in Karachi but he sent his son to United States to study medicine, his son did his residency and decided to settle in USA. The parents never complained, life moved on they received few hundred dollars every month from the son and few visits from him from time to time. The mother passed away three years back and after her death the father was diagnosed with renal failure, he needed dialysis. His older daughter whom he stayed with called her brother " Abu needs medical care, why don't you call him to US and get his dialysis over there, he will be happy to spend some time with your children".

" Treatment will be very expensive I can't afford it, I will send some money, you guys take him to a doctor there", the son replied.

Soon the daughters took their father to SIUT ( Sindh institute of urology), they met with Dr Adeeb Rizvi the head of the institute who guided them about the treatment plan. Soon his treatment started, Dr Rizvi greeted him every time he arrived for dialysis sat with him for some time, talked about his college, politics and cricket. Soon the doctor and the patient became good friends.

The father died after a year, when his son came for the funeral, the daughter handed him an envelope with $15,000 which he had sent for his fathers treatment and a letter.

" My dear Beta, I tried my best to teach my son the importance of good education, hard work, your mother and I worked very hard to make you an honest and trustworthy human being but we failed in teaching you "nobility", nobility in your deeds and selflessness.We failed to teach you to help others. I salute Dr Rizvi"s parents who taught their son nobility, who left a prosperous career in UK to come back to Pakistan to help the sick and the poor families of this country. Please Beta try to teach nobility to your children otherwise you will miss your well educated physician son everyday in the final months of your life, I was lucky enough to find another son in Dr Adeeb Rizvi but maybe you will not...", wrote the father in his letter.

 The public healthcare system in Pakistan, as in many developing countries, struggles with extreme shortage  of resources. Sindh  Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) is  one man’s passion to provide top-class medical treatment, at no cost to the poor and sick people of his country.

In 1972, Dr  Rizvi set up a small urology unit in Karachi in Civil Hospital Karachi.

SIUT has grown from just eight beds to over 650 beds at nine separate centres across Pakistan and today is the largest health organisation in the country.
I have met Dr Rizvi just once very briefly but have heard many stories about his dedication to his work. He is the first one to arrive at SIUT in the morning and the last one to leave.He is a friend to all his patients and his employees. Everyone( patients from any background)is treated equally in SIUT.

I am thankful to God for everything He has given me, for all His blessings. I also wish and pray for nobility in my deeds...

Postpartum Depression; a disease which needs to be addressed

Postpartum Depression; a disease which needs to be treated

I was very happy that finally after so many years,I will have a baby, my own baby! I bought so many clothes and toys.
My son was born the day after my 29th birthday, I quit my job at the bank to stay with my son. I was the happiest person in the world.

Suddenly after few days of his birth things changed, I don't know how, I don't know why but I was angry all the time. I started throwing temper tantrums, me and my husband started fighting every day.

I started suffering from depression and severe anxiety.  I was experiencing moments of rage. I couldn't understand what was happening to me and also was unable to explain to others what I felt like. I was stuck in the deepest well of sadness every few days. I was cranky, sleep deprived felt tired most of the time.
I used to sit in a corner and cry for no reason, I thought I am a bad mom...

When ever I looked at my baby I felt very happy but after few minutes the smile faded from my face and I was back to my usual depressed self.
There was no one who understood me, my husband said " you had a normal delivery, baby is fine then why are you acting weird? You are not the first mother who has a newborn baby to care for"
Even my own family and friends expected me to act "perfectly". They wanted to talk, drop by and were asking for baby pictures all the time.

I was suffering from "postpartum depression" and the people of the world thought I am "just making a big deal".

I did not who to talk to? What to do?
I was confused, angry and frustrated at the same time!

PPD can strike without warning, 20% of postpartum moms suffer from it. It can happen to anyone; women with no history of depression or women who have had it before. It can happen to women who are highly successful in their careers or women who stay home with their children.  It can occur after the first baby, or after the fourth.
 It can happen to any woman...
It is a disease which needs to be treated.

That was the 70s, time has changed...

Women do talk about this issue, even high profile Hollywood stars create awareness about this issue!

My name is Raisa I am a mother of 4 and a grandmother now, I work as a councilor with a psychiatrist trying to help young women.