The old lady and the kid

Today early in the morning I saw an old lady with small kid presented to ER in Okhaldhunga Community hospital. She had got burning epigastric pain.  While asking about members in family, she is living with that little kid; her husband is no more with her. The elder son, the kid’s father passed away many years back and the daughter in-law, the kid’s mother is far away in Kathmandu who comes once in a blue moon. Younger sons do not look after her. She had been having pain for 3 days and similar episodes in the past though.

While going through previous report, she found to have pancreatic cancer. While asking about socioeconomic status, there is virtually no one earning and supporting them. She has grandson, the kid who helps her make food and feed her.  They have some fields to grow foods. This time she came with Peptic ulcer disease (gastritis).

While asking kid, he had his eyes full of tears, burying his face with his hands, ‘I study in class 2. I go to school regularly but this time; I am not able to manage to go school because my grandmother succumbed to sick.’

 ‘Wont you go school now?’

‘How can I leave grandmother in this situation, sir?’

It just touched my heart. A nine year kid thinks that way and always there to serve his grandmother in every possible aspect. I was moved with his manner.