How Mother Teresa touched my heart writes Dr Devi Shetty

Editor's Note: The piece originally appeared in print on March 8, 2010.

One woman who has tremendously influenced my life is Mother Teresa. I was first introduced to her as her doctor way back in 1984, when she'd had a heart attack. I was treating her at the BM Birla Hospital in Kolkata, and while she was at the hospital recuperating, she would often accompany me when I went on rounds in the hospital. There were many child patients admitted with cardiac problems. One day as we went visiting kids she defined a pediatric heart surgeon to me in the most beautiful way possible. "I know why you are here," said Mother. And I asked her, "Why Mother?" "When God created these children with heart
problems, he was pre-occupied and so he sent you here to treat them," she replied. That truly touched my heart.

I looked after Mother Teresa for the last five years of her life when her health was slightly fragile. These years, in many ways, impacted my perception of life. Mother Teresa's humility and simplicity is what struck me most. She was one of the most popular women in the world, and yet so humble and simple. On several occasions I used to accompany Mother on her visits to hospitals in many parts of Kolkata.Everybody knew her well, in fact, as they would see her approach them, they would be ready to bow to her feet. But here was woman so humble that she would greet them and politely introduce herself to people she met.

Mother strongly believed that love is the most powerful weapon, which can actually conquer the world and that teaching has impacted me tremendously and I truly believe that the entire world must believe that, because if there is something the world requires today it is love and tolerance.

Mother was an inspiring force behind Narayana Hrudayalaya. She had such a simple approach towards the complex problems in life. There are way too many problems in this world, you can't possibly solve everything. It is much easier to accomplish something when you have one agenda. Mother had narrowed down her mission to help out the lesser privileged. And that told me what I should do. We all have one life to live and you want to do as much as you can in that. So I decided to focus on making a difference in the lives of the poor.

(This is a reproduction of the piece written by Dr Devi Shetty that appeared in DNA on March 8, International Women’s day, this year. Dr Devi Shetty is the founder of Narayana Hrudyalaya Institute of Cardiac Sciences)