Thank you Allah for your grace

As humans it is just natural for us to not be satisfied for what we have. It is so easy to complain and grouch for things that we don't have or can't get ; rather than being thankful and appreciate for things that we have. It is more convenient to look at the little bad things instead of the bigger good things granted to us by god.

‘Sesungguhnya manusia diciptakan bersifat gelisah. Apabila bahaya mendatangani dia keluh kesah. Dan apabila mendapat kebaikan amatlah kikir. (Al-Maarij, ayat 19-21)

Seeing the parents of the unfortunate congenital heart disease babies and children in IJN was a revelation for me. They have with them, their own flesh and blood; literally gasping for breath of life ever since their inception. I cannot imagine the stress these parents have ; constantly worried about the future of their children. Few had to give up their career in life to sacrifice for the sake of their loved one.To make it worse, the majority comes from the lower income social strata. The ones in IJN are the fortunate ones by lottery and i know there are more of the unlucky ones out there..unreached.
To know the poor prognosis of such babies and children, that certain procedures done are purely palliative and not curative can cause so much hurt to the doctor who was given the responsibility to councel them. But of course, these parents hold their hopes high on you.. to whatever you do is hope regardless the risk and real outcome. It is that small bit of hope which carry them to their current state. During my premed rounds seeing the parents for consent, I had to hold back my tears.. and let it go once I am alone in the treatment room while completing my clerking for the hospital computer system. I spend quite some time doing the premed because it is humane to sit, talk and importantly listen to their stories.. most of them sad and disheartening. This may explain why i go back home almost everyday.

I thank Allah for his blessings and for giving me three beautiful offsprings who are healthy. I've enjoyed watching them grow so fast that sometimes you wanna pause and press the rewind button to enjoy the moment. I cannot imagine being in the shoes of the parents I met in IJN.. I guess, the only way I can contribute would be to ensure my very best to help alleviate their pain.. as well as being thankful and reminding not just myself of how lucky we are to have the life that we are living now...