SPEECH BY DR ANIL N SUCHAK ON THE EVENING OF 19.02.2017 AT SUCHAK HOSPITAL,MALAD (EAST)
A warm welcome and thanks for joining us this special evening.
Made all the more special; with the presence of all the people who mean the world to me.
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it is enough.”
I feel immense gratitude for the Infinite blessings Life has showered upon me. Not because there have been no trials and troubles, but because God has always given me the strength and will to face everything that comes along.
Today I am sharing the story of my life and my heartfelt emotions with you all.
During my internship in 1978, while returning from the rural hospital I met with an accident with a truck while on my motorbike. I was brought to Suchak hospital in a critical state with multiple fractures in the spine and profuse intra-abdominal bleed. I was taken up for Surgery and was found to have a ruptured Spleen which was removed. On the operation table, I had a cardiac arrest and was revived. Surgery was performed by Dr. M L Singhi a friend of my father and an excellent and courageous surgeon & Dr. Lalit Kapoor again a brilliant surgeon and like an elder to me, the daring anaesthetist was Dr C K Shah who took the risk of administering anaesthesia to me in my very critical state, and to them all I am forever grateful. The strength and faith of my father Dr N V Suchak was monumental and needs special mention. My “Never give up “attitude is clearly a gift from my father. Thank you Father. Subsequently I was looked after medically by Dr Anupam Desai and Dr K C Mehta. Thank you very much Dr Anupam Desai & Dr K C Mehta for all your care.
My brother Ashok was constantly by my side for the 6 weeks while I was recovering, when he was not my room he would sleep on the bench outside my room. My heart is filled with love for him. Thank you Brother.
I was given 10 units of blood at that time. All my dear friends- Raju Temani, Shailesh Shah and other friends donated blood for me. After 9 years in 1987, I was diagnosed with jaundice after 6 months we figured it was chronic Hepatitis C and early cirrhosis, through this all I was well enough to work full time at my hospital and for various other medical associations and the Divine Life Society. By December 2006; my liver decompensated and completely failed. We realized Liver transplant was the only option for recovery.
Dr Subash Gupta, a Senior Liver transplant Surgeon, the blessings of my Guru Swami Chidananda and gracious and generous act of donating part of his liver by Swami Yatidharmanada are responsible for my rebirth. For me Sw Yati is the perfect example of selfless service, love, generosity and the face of divine expression. I express my heartfelt gratitude to Swami Yatidharmananda & Professor Dr Subash Gupta and his entire team.
My liver was fully removed and explanted Liver was found to have 2 tumours of Cancer – HCC (Hepatocellular Carcinoma) besides the cirrhosis of Liver.
Studies have proved the power of prayer when it comes to healing the sick; in my case this clearly helped me. I am grateful for all the positivity, love, and prayers. Being a man of science I have tremendous respect for doctors and the progress of modern day medicine. But I also depend on my faith in the higher power that gave me the courage, strength, and endurance to go through this ordeal. The staff and doctors of my hospital walked from Malad to the Siddhi Vinayak Temple at Prabhadevi to pray for my well-being.
Abha, Suraj, Tui, Saloni and Nathan have stood by me and supported me. Their unconditional love has been my lifeline.
Thank you Amita, Tina, Amresh, Poonam, Dimple, Nitya, Dr Lalit & Prabha Kapoor, Dr Murari Nanavati, Shailesh & Madhu Nathwani, Kishore & Anju Vasa, Mustafa Nadiadwala, Rajendra Temani, Shailesh Shah, Jagdish Khakhar, Manish Choksi, Dr Sanjiv Maniar, Dharmendra & Kalpana Bhatnagar, & family from Himachal Pradesh, Dr Cherry & Chetan Shah, Dr Jayesh Shah, Dr Ketan Mehta, Dr Agam Vora, Dr Sharad Oza, Dr Ashish Purohit, Dr Sameer Cumar Verma, Dr Shrikant Badwe, Dr Umesh & Molina Khanna, Dr Sushma Bohra, Tarun & Nidhi Lakhanpal, Dr Mahendra Agarwal.
In addition to the names I have mentioned there were many more friends, colleagues and family who visited us in Delhi.
I would like to specially thank and acknowledge dear Kishore and Anju Vasa for coming all the way from Uk, Kaku bhaiya Nikhilesh Prasad and Dharmendra Bhatnagar from Delhi, Mridula didi & Tejnathji Lakhanpal from Bangalore.
Please forgive me dear friends if I have missed out on mentioning any names.
My family, friends, colleagues, staff are all an important part of my life and I deeply treasure you all.
Post transplant and after complete recovery in about 3-4 months life went back to normal with me working as a medical intensivist and hospital administrator. I felt the need to keep spirit of giving alive and help sick patients who are suffering from end stage organ failures.
Happy to say –The decision I made in 2007 to spread awareness on the subject of Organ Donation & Transplant by- patient counselling, lectures at schools, colleges, Medical associations, Corporates, Rotary club, and sports clubs , literature distribution, participated in Marathons and all other ways possible is going along well. I travel to towns and villages of Maharashtra for lectures, while doing so I have visited 95-100 branches of IMA, where doctors and general public have been made aware about the technicalities of Deceased Donor Programme, and concepts of brain death. I have been appointed as National Chairman of the IMA Organ donation awareness committee.
I launched The Indian Liver Foundation in 2011.
Out of the many successful stories of patients and families I have counselled; I want to share a story very close to my heart.
Around five years ago, one day as I was leaving for a meeting a gentlemen dropped in to meet me he was visibly upset as his wife had slipped into a pre hepatic coma due to liver failure. He was accompanied by his brother.
They inquired and understood all the requirements for the liver transplant – I explained about the donor being most important followed by the financial component
Both of them were more than willing to be donors.
After we made all the necessary arrangements with Dr Subash Gupta they left for Delhi, where an ambulance was at the airport on arrival. The surgery went well and I was happy that we could help the patient.
About a month later a young woman of about 22 years of age walked into my office to meet me. After introducing herself she bent down to touch my feet. I was surprised and very moved as she told me “You saved my mother’s life”. I was very happy to know her mother was doing well and asked her how the donor was doing which I assumed was her father. That’s when she told me her father and his brother were both rejected as donors – in fact she was the donor.
I was overcome with emotions of surprise and joy. She was studying business management at the time. I asked her – being so young and yet to be married didn’t she worry about the large scar on the abdomen.
Her answer filled me with fatherly pride and happiness when she said “My mother gave birth to me; she gave me life I just gave her a small part of my organ”
Two years later I attended her wedding, she is now a young mother and a successful professional.
Till today it warms my heart when I remember this patient and the successful transplant.
Family & Friends, as always I am thankful for all the love you all shower on me, it humbles me and motivates me to be of more service to patients and all those I come in contact with.
Please enjoy the evening
Dr Anil Suchak
