A tale of conviction of a man who came to Gurgaon from Kolkata in search of better care for her wife during these tough times.

‘Please help me find a hospital bed for my wife, or else she will not be able to survive. I urgently need to admit her, but I am slowly losing hope with no visible way ahead’.

This is the blaring plea for support and help that we woke up to at the quiet hour of 1:00 am on 19th February 2021. The man (37) we heard on the other side of the phone is a husband, a father and an unfaltering human who was trying his best to reach anyone who could help his wife (35) cope with her deteriorating state of health due to Covid-19.  

He travelled the long distance to Gurgaon from Kolkata to meet his friend. Unfortunately, the visit had something else in store for them, with his wife’s condition worsening by the minute but no viable option ahead for admission to a hospital due to limited availability, despite his unwavering efforts and search.  

The grief in his voice and his persistence could be felt through the phone call, and we quickly realized that something needed to be done and that too fast. To support him in the best possible manner that we would, we decided to meet him in front of Medanta Hospital, after relaying to him that we might only be able to provide limited assistance since we deal with only medical equipment. We met him and understood his wife’s condition, and were able to get her admitted to a nursing home by around 3-3:30 am on the morning of 20th February along with a constant supply of oxygen throughout this period and beyond.  

During this critical time, when things were looking tough for the couple with emotional vulnerability at peak, we deemed it fit to make constant visits to them to provide some sort of support in that bleak situation. Fortunately, the wife was able to make it through the following nights with her oxygen levels improving that had previously fallen to 40-45%, but her organs were severely impacted, shrouding her recovery in uncertainty.  

On 27th February, we once again received a call from him while he was in an ambulance, but this time relaying the message that he was going back to Kolkata to seek better care for her wife since he was unsure of her recovery in Gurgaon. Unexpectedly, he requested our address from us, and within some time, he was there, in front of our house with the entire ambulance to relay his gratitude for the support during the times he was feeling helpless.

His words and gestures still resound with us, ‘ Shweta and Akash, I don’t know If I will meet you ever again, but I will always remember the help you gave me when all hope escaped me. I am thankful for the extra days I get to spend with my wife, talk with her and really cherish these extra moments. You have helped me in ways nobody could’.

This is how he bid goodbye to us while on his journey back home, with our last aid to him being the food we provided to him since he had not eaten well for the past few days. 

Since then, we have tried calling him without being able to get through, but we know that this strong couple is trying their best to survive this difficulty together, more so when their daughter is awaiting them in Kolkata. For now, we wish and pray for the recovery of this family and the many more whose lives and health have been affected by this pandemic.

We don’t ever want anybody to feel hopeless, directionless or even helpless during these challenging times, and if somebody finds themselves in this situation, we want you to know we are here to help you in ways we can, which is a sentiment that many might resonate with given the kind of support we are observing within the community.  

And this the reason why we continue doing what we do- comforting, assisting and supporting people amidst these trying times and beyond.