Dr Fitzpatrick, a public health specialist from Aughnamullen, County Monaghan, Ireland, worked in a small tent hospital in Africa looking after children who were malnourished.
Like Dr Fitzpatrick, I had always wanted to be a medical doctor but abandoned the idea when I could not dissect a frog in Form One. Till this day, I cannot dissect anything that is alive or drugged. I also wanted to be a missionary but did not have the guts.
So I became a teacher instead. I reasoned that whether I became a doctor, a missionary or a teacher, I would still be of service to the community and hoped to inspire someone along the way.
Dr Fitzpatrick wrote: "This week, among many admissions, a young mother arrived with twins. She had not eaten for a while. The twins were a haunting sight. Tiny skeletons wrapped in a fine film of skin. Their hair, brownish in colour, fell out too easily when touched. I struggled to remain composed as I examined them. I could see their small chests rise and fall with the breathing cycle."
A cycle is specific. King Solomon in all his wisdom wrote that there is a time for everything. A time to give birth, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build up. A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A cycle is also repetitive. We experience the continuity of days, weeks and months in a year. Chinese all over the world have just ushered in the Year of the Rabbit only this time I am away from home. It takes 12 years for the rabbit to reappear in the lunar calendar.
Although I do not believe in the Chinese horoscope, a cursory glance at the characteristics of those born in the Year of the Rabbit renders interesting information. They are private individuals but are reasonably friendly and enjoy the company of a group of good friends.
They are quite calm people who do not exhibit aggressive behaviour. Intelligent and quick, they also like artistic ventures, such as painting and music and are generally quite present in these worlds. Among the many professions, they excel if they are doctors or musicians.
Perhaps, Dr Fitzpatrick was born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Twenty-four years ago my eldest daughter was born in the Year of the Rabbit. Now that she is busy walking up and down the wards of a hospital and plays the piano when she can find time, her mother's heart is aglow with pride.
This tells me that I must have done something right, to challenge her to pursue her dream and to imbue her with a sense of servitude and responsibility. As far as I can remember, she never had any other ambition except to be a doctor. I hope she would become a doctor with a heart big enough to embrace challenges across borders.
Finally, a cycle is also continuous. Like any article that we read, I searched for a good ending in Dr Fitzpatrick's story.
He wrote, "I wish I could tell you both twins survived. The baby girl recovered, but four days after arriving at the hospital, the little boy died. The mother softly kissed his forehead and holding him in her arms released a scream that scared everybody. The nurses were crying. I was numb. We all continued with the job."
In this case, despite the emotional setbacks of reality in the nameless hospital in Africa, work still has to be done. The cycle goes on. How true.
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