People of Value

New Delhi: Ronald Abraham

Like any concerned parent, teachers too, would never want their students to while away time at a tea stall. But then, life in itself is a good learning process, and it serves humanity. Here’s the story of a couple of students who did their college proud by putting to good use their frequent visits to a nearby tea stall.

Umesh Kumar, who runs a tea stall near St. Stephen’s College, is blind by birth. He learnt to live with his visual disability. But destiny once again went against Kumar. He was diagnosed with cancer in the urinary bladder. He couldn’t afford to pay for his treatment. That’s when a chai session turned out to be a boon for him. Ronald Abraham, a St. Stephen’s Student and a regular at Kumar’s stall, came to know about his condition during a chai session with his friends. He immediately decided to help him fight cancer. “We took him to Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital, where the doctors said it was not possible to treat Umesh since he was too weak. We then decided to consult doctors at Apollo Hospital. A doctor there said treatment would prolong his life by not more than six months,” said Abraham.

That didn’t dampen Abraham’s spirits. For the last two years, Kumar had been undergoing treatment at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. Now, Kumar can boldly say destiny hasn’t been so cruel to him. Kumar is now back at his tea stall, and the chai sessions are very much a part of his life even today. “I am perfectly fine now, thanks to the doctors and students, when Abraham first took me to the hospital, I was glad he came along. I never knew he would do so much for me. I am alive because of his efforts,” said Kumar.

According to doctors, Kumar is not completely free of cancer’. But hope floats.

Source: College students pitch in for tea stall owner. The Hindustan Times, Daily, New Delhi, 19 April 2007.