The Caring Soul

This happened two years ago . In our country, the Philippines, where Corona Virus was at its worst, hospitals were over crowded with patients rich or poor, young or old, regardless of sex, religion or status of the community.

NO ROOMS AVAILABLE ! NO BEDS AVAILABLE !
Some put tents outside the hospital buildings. People went panic buying of oxygen. Truly a horrible and a terrible sight. Extremely frustrating.

There was this senior citizen grandmother who was admitted to the hospital for she was diagnosed to have the symptoms of corona virus.

She is a widow, her husband died 8 years ago due to cardiac arrest. They have two children, now a doctor and a nurse and both are working in the hospital where she was admitted. She did not like to be admitted because every time she had a fever, she usually just drank plenty of fruit juice and ate a very warm porridge, took a quick nap and she felt okay as well as the fever was gone. But this time the fever lasted for three days and always on a high temperature and she was chilling.
Her children insisted that she be brough to the hospital where all the needed equipments like the dextrose, the oxygen and whatever was needed for the treatment.She consented after too much convincing. When there was a bed for herself not a room as all the rooms were already occupied, she felt uncomfortable and wanted to be home right away .

Sitting on her bed, looking at so many patients all around made her regret her decision on why she agreed to be hospitalized.

Nearby she noticed a lady with a small traveling bag and she was crying. She was standing beside a male patient sitting on a chair. With a loud voice, fhe old lady clearly heard her.
"There is no room, not even a bed available for you. How can you be given a proper treatment. Please fight for your life, please do not die, our children are still young and we need you." She was crying louder.

The old lady made a quick.decision.
She removed her dextrose and told the attending nurse to give her bed to the man sitting on the chair nearby. There was an argument. The son, a doctor, and the nurse daughter approached her and insisted that she must stay.

She told her children" My decision is firm and final. I will be much better at home. Give my bed to this man and give him the best treatment needed.
She won the argument.

She told the wife of the patient. " Take good care of your husband. Pray for him to live for you and for your children. Do not worry about me. I
already live my life to the fullest. I can beat this sickness all I need is a good rest. I cannot rest here looking at these patients and the medical frontliners are under-staff, can never attend fully to the patient's need right away. Take good care of yourself. If you need anything look for Dr. Villar, the doctor that I argued. He is my son. Tell him I told you so." The lady shed tears of joy, that there is hope and whispered , " Thank You Ma'am "

When she went home, she told the househelper, " Nobody is allowed to see me in ten days.I am on self-quarantine in my room. Everything I need is in my room . Use your cellphone to contact me and never remove your mask. There is a box of masks on top of the Kitchen Ref change your mask everyday so the virus cannot spread. This instruction is for strict compliance. There is money i the petty cash box use it as needed
. and please do not get sick. Stay healthy."

After taking Paracetamol for three days, she felt much better and gained her strength. No more fever yet she remained on self quarantine for ten days.Her children were always monitoring on her through cellphone.

After a month, she had a visitor. The wife of the patient at the hospital bringing her baskets of ripe mango fruits. " Thank You Ma'am, my husband is now doing well and will be back to work a month from now. He is an Engineer and works as a Captain of an International Cargo Shipping Company. I have letters for you from my three young children.

She was reading intently focusing on the children's penmanships.
" Thank You Lola,
You make our lives more meaningful
because of your caring soul.
You are a blessing to us Lola.
Signed by the three children"
Lola means Grandma

They both shed tears as they hugged with joyful and grateful hearts.
That was a beginning of a very beautiful friendship.