Small Hero, Great Heroism

Some heroes do not get to have their pictures splashed in newspapers, but become heroes all the same. As they say, ‘Everyone can become a hero, only the radius may differ’.

Take Ramesh for example. He is a 46 year old male nurse in the nephrology department of SGPGIMS. During his youth he did what many of us did in our teens and twenties: hung around with friends around ‘nukkars’ and in front of cubbyhole cigarette shops (there was no gutka then), got coaxed by peers to try that first puff, coughed and choaked but went back to prove our manliness, took to it to gain acceptance of our friends, made it a habit, and finally got hooked and became daily smokers.

Ramesh’s addiction took him to become a chain smoker, puffing  40 cigarettes a day, and finding it difficult to do without tobacco for long stretches. His wife, Jorgen’s repeated reminders, pleas and naggings fell on his ears like water on a duck’s back.

Then came his two lovely children, Renata and Renee (now 19 and 14) who soon became his life’s newly found purpose and for whom he wanted to be the best father in the world. When his wife reminded him that his habit could make them vulnerable to asthma, ear problems, heart disease and cancers through passive smoking, the loving father would leave home for every smoke.

When the children started growing up they often wondered why dad had to go out so often to return smelling like a stale ashtray. At 10 years of age, the kids confronted their father and asked him if he loved them at all. If he indeed did, why could he not give up smoking, that their school teacher had said damaged a person’s and his family’s health. Did he want to die early and leave his children before they were settled, as smokers often did due to their 7 years’shortened life-spans?

Ramesh realized that if he died early of heart disease, breathlessness or any of the 5 cancers that smoking causes (mouth, lungs, foodpipe, pancreas and bladder), from which he saw many patients die in the hospital, his children would have to grow up and fend for themselves without a father’s guidance and support. And their love for him would turn sour as they would ask “If dad indeed loved us as much as he claimed, why could he not make a small sacrifice and give up cigarettes for our sake?”

Ramesh mustered up his will power and stubbed out his last cigarette 8 years ago. He and his children were honoured in a ‘World No Tobacco Day’ function on May 31^st at SGPGIMS in 2006. His children are as proud and fond of their father today as he is of them.

The 140 million tobacco consumers in India can become heroes for their families, just as their children and families can make heroes of them. Quit tobacco today if you indeed love and care for someone, as Ramesh did.
As published in HT City( Hindustan Times) dated 5 May, 2011.