Savita Mehta

It’s been exactly one year when I was diagnosed with Covid 19 and it was to change my life forever. It started with mild throat irritation and fever. However, the next ten days were a nightmare for my entire family. For the first two days, I thought it was just another viral fever caused by the intense heatwave of Delhi. As the fever increased and my throat infection snowballed into a full-blown cough, I went for a checkup and was diagnosed as Covid positive. the same week my twin brother, my son and my father has also tested positive and were hospitalized. Looking back, I still believe that last year was a better year as we had access to hospitals, medicines, oxygen cylinders etc. With God’s grace, all, four of us, became Covid survivors, although my father aged 83, took months to recover.

The first week of June was the most traumatic month of my life and my family. My mom staying in Gurgaon, was in agony thinking of her four family members who were being treated in different hospitals simultaneously. No one could visit anyone to console, to look after, or to help. At that times, there was no correct information about the virus and therefore no remedies and the patients and their families were seen ass as untouchables.

From the hospital bed, I worried about who would cook for my family as all the domestic help were banned by the housing society. To my surprise, my neighbours and friends (Arti, my soulmate, who stays nearly 10 km away from my house)  became saviours’ they sent three meals daily; they send food of our choice for the entire month

As the saying goes ‘What goes around, comes around,’ my sister’s family of four, who stay within 5 km of my house tested positive in May this year and since there was a provision of home isolation, they stayed at their place. Now, I thanked God for having given me an opportunity to serve and help in whatever way I could do, by way of sending food for the entire family the whole month.

I could also send food for my neighbour’s family who tested Covid positive. This gave me the satisfaction and happiness that even a pot of gold may not have given me.

During the second wave of Covid-19, I must have received at least 500 requests for help from my friends and family for arranging hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, medicines. I used my all possible contacts to help them. So much so, my sons wondered why I was into helping even the unknown persons. I told them: What goes around, comes around and do a good deed today and you too will get help when you need it. Covid has taught me to be compassionate, generous and keep my spirits high in difficult times.

(Dr Savita Mehta is Vice-president of Amity University)