Counting it to four as of today and not expecting to get the count increment anymore. :-(
First it was Vipin Cruz, my classmate in BSc. CS. Year 1997. 14 member team in 7 bikes went to Palaruvi waterfalls to celebrate the runnersup victory of the intercollegiate cricket competition. While coming back after an exciting trip, bike ridden by Binil with Vipin as co passenger skid along the way. Binil with deep wounds left Vipin in a coma stage with internal blood clot in the brain. Unforgettable 22 days in Trivandrum Medical college hospital for many of us.
Day n night few of us were there beside him. Sleepless nights !!! Few nights in footpath and few other nights infront steps of Bloodbank while one can sit along with Vipin near his bed in general ward. We went in a rotation basis day to day. He got recovered 70% at the end of 22nd day and got discharged. The day when we felt we've achieved something for our die hard effort. Myself and sinkom called a taxi and safely took him back to his house @ NTA. But ended up
in supension from college and had to pay condonation (fine) for getting back to college and write examination. This was the punishment for 6 of us for not attending class for all those days. But we never minded. Josh was there with all of us 'coz we've saved someones life.
Second it was Dhanya Vasudevan. Year 1999. I've never met her before. 
One of my classmates fathers friends daughter. Came to Trivandrum Regional Cancer Center from Kozhikode, for treating Dhanya for acute Blood cancer. Mr. Vasudevan, Dhanyas father literealy pleaded with me for aranging B+ blood for her on a day to day basis. I was out of college that time and was trying for MCA and was attending some crash courses for getting thru the enterance. Seeing his disappointed heart, I stopped going for the course and started arranging the red blood. Few days went past. Daily I could arrange atleat 2 person. Including my brother, many contributed. I'd to volunteer each one of them. One fine day Uncle asked me, "Would you like to see my daughter ?". I too felt little curious to see the person for whom am collecting blood. Can't forget that day in my life. How expectations go wrong. Uncle took me to the room where she was admitted. Pushed open the door and there I could find something which I never thought that way. A pale figure covered with just a single piece of blanket. For a minute I asked myself, is that a human being ? Not even a single hair on the head. Entire face n body skin was torned. She can't wear clothes 'coz it might tear appart the skin. She welcomed me with a warm smile. Uncle introduced me to her. It was very difficult for me initially to start of the conversation 'coz I was not yet out of the shock of my life. But we became friends soon.Her parents were at the edge of loosing hope. An extra energy filled up my nerves. Hmm yes I should rescue her for their family. Day by day it became difficult to get 2 people for blood donation. With the help of my friends, I started approaching many colleges. Few helped me.. But still it became a never ending process. And a day came when I couldn't arrange anyone. I know I'm B+. But had not donated coz I was under weight that time. Still I asked the nurse in charge to get it from me as much as possible. Nurse asked me to standup on a weighing machine and rejected to take my blood, telling me that if she takes blood from me then, I might get admitted as my body was really week. The day when I felt really helpless. Uncle arranged some bottles of blood from someother blood banks. Days went past and I got the interview call from IISc. Bangalore on Feb 15th 1999. I met her the last time. Told her about the interview call. Till that time I'd written many MCA enterances spending atleast 8K of my fathers money. I was reluctant to go to b'lore for writing this test/interview. But she gave me hope. That time her condition was really bad. With much effort she told me, "Vinu, you'll get this for sure"... I came to b'lore wrote the test where 968 candidates attended from all over India. 25 got selected for interview. I was in that. Next day interview. 10 got selected from that and I was in again. Went back home. Wanted to tell her the new. But I've never met her after that. Not purposefully, but nobody was allowed. I joined IISc and got settled in B'lore. 3 to 4 weeks after my joining date, I got a call from home. She left us all and had joined the stars. Obitury news paper cutting I got later. Was suprised to see her original photo. She was really pretty. 9 long yrs went past, I still hold that paper cutting in my wallet.
Third it was Prince George Punnen. Year 2006. My childhood friend. A car and bike lover. Bike racer. Worked with ford and later joined as assistant manager in GE Money. Oct 6th morning, I got a call from Manoj (Coach) from native, giving me another shock of my life. Princi met with a very serious accident @ cochin and is taken to a near by hospital. Headon clash with a lorry. Not his mistake but the lorry's. All other days he used to wear his red helmet, and unfortunately not that day. Fate comes in many ways. That time Manoj didn't have much information. immediately I called up his mobile. After 2 - 3 tries, a police person took the mobile and told me, princi's condition is very seriou,s he has got a major head injury and is taken to Medical Center hospital. Was stuned to hear that. Called up as many friends as possible in cochin and tvm. Meanwhile called sinkom and told this news and asked him to come down to room, so that we can go to cochin as soon as possible. Sametime I too started towards room. While driving back, got the worst call ever back from cochin. 0% chance for Princi to survive. Hez put into ventilator and his relative n frnds can come and see and then take the body. I literally cried. Couldn't controll my tears. That day evening bus we started for cochin. Morning we reached there and directly went to hospital. Ramesh and Coach was there and his relative as well as many of his collegues. Princi's mother was sitting still like a rock. We could hear her innerself crying and praying for her one and only son. His uncle was a big shot. He arranged some leading surgeons to fly down from Delhi and Coimbatore. And as a last hope they planned for a brain surgery next day morning. We had a glimpse of Princi that day while they were moving him from one ICU to a different one. Doctors were not attending any other injuries which he had all over the body 'coz none of his vital parts were working. His bed was surrounded with lot many medical electrical equipments to give artificial heartbeat, oxygen etc:- It was a sleepless night for all of us. Next day early morning surgery started. It was almost 12 hours of operation. Around 50 people were standing outside the Operation Theatre all the time waiting for the result. After the surgery, doctors told that now its 2 - 3% of chance. Nothing can be told now since his body is not responding. That day night for all our prayers his body responded. He survived. One of the miracle in the history of medical science. They started calling Princi, The Miracle Man. Tons of thanks to the doctors. It took one week for him to come out of coma. Days went past he gradually recoverd. Its one year since that incident happened. Still he has got few discomforts. Not totally recovered, but atleast we are able to see Princi in his normal form.
Fourth its now Deepu. Last friday (Nov. 2nd 2007). My roommate. HR Recruiter in Wipro Technologies. Aruns cousin. I met him 4 yrs before. Arun introduced him to me. He came to 
b'lore in search of job and completely dependent on me. After several attempts and tries in many companies finaly he could get in to wipro 2 yrs before. Last Friday, can say the hell day in his life, he started feeling some diziness and tiredness all over his body. Morning itself he told me about the same. Same day afternoon I got a call from him telling that the tiredness has increased and he wants to meet some doctor. I picked him up from office and went to a near by hospital. A junk doctor told that, hez having hyper tension and gave some tablets. I took him back to room, made him take the tablet. I went back to office. Later he went to his friends place eventhough he was not keeping well. By evening again I got a call from him telling that hez back in room and his diziness has increased and he wants to go to hospital. I was confused. What type of problem hez having. I came back room immediately and found him sitting on the chair and is not able to move properly. Bini and Sinkom joined me. We planned to take him to St. Johns hospital. We could sense somesort of seriuosness when we found that deepu is not able to put his shirt even. Rushed him to St. Johns by 9.00pm. After lot of checkup and analysis, duty doctor confirmed that this is a kind of rarest disease and is named Guillian Barre Syndrome. A viral attack which will stop all nervous system functions. Time was around 00.30 am. By that time deepus hands and legs were 60 % freezed. The only treatment for that is Immunoglobulin injection which will cost 20K per day and we need to take it 5 days. And this disease might quickly spread accross all other parts of the body hour by hour. If it starts
affecting any vital parts of the body, then recovering back might be impossible. Doctor wanted to admit him immediately and start giving the injection. We asked him to hold it and had a quick discussion among ourselves. Decision was so spontaneous, we three decided to take him back to native same day morning flight seeing the criticality of the disease. Called up Jayan back home and asked him to book 2 flight tickets for morning. Since bini and sinkom was held up
I planned to take him back to tvm. Informed this to doctor and asked him to take the initial dozage of the injection so that till I could take him to tvm, nothing shld happen. Injection started, meanwhile I went to office by 3.00am and took the printout of the ticket and went to room, packed deepus as well as my clothes and rushed back to hospital. 4.45 am. Time for us to leave to airport. flight is at 6am. Deepu's condition dropped down. 80% of the body was
idle. Collected all the reports and by ambulance reached airport by 5.30am. Once after entering the airport, had to leave behind Sinkom and Bini. Wheel chair was arranged. I had another most difficult part of my life. Deepu was not able to do anything by himself. With assistance of few crews from Kingfisher, somehow got him inside the flight. We reached tvm by 7.30am. Dinesh, deepus younger brother was there with a car. Moving deepu from one position to a
different became totally difficult. Struggled struggled struggled !!! Went to Nirmala hospital, took a reference letter and went to Sri chitra medical college. Deepus parents and few relatives were there. Ramesh's uncle was there as a doctor. After some analysis and going through the report from St. Johns, the disease was confirmed and stamped deepus condition to be highly critical. I didn't inform this to his parents. Automatically I became the front end for all the activities. After meeting the doctor, I went and sat beside deepu. He could still speak, but his body went to almost standstill. With a smile he asked me, "vinu sir... why no one is treating me ? Will I be able to get up from here ? ". Again, human sentiments aroused in me. Just ran out of the room, wanted to cry loudly. Calledup sinkom and just passed on the feelings. He too felt bad, since he couldn't be there with me. I was too tired b'coz of the sleepless night and travel. Doctors asked us to take him to KIMS hospital since they are not having spare ventilator facility there and anytime deepu's respiratory system can go bad. Without telling this bad news to his parents, took him to KIMS and admitted him in Critical ICU. It was 5.00pm when all these
things got over. Each and everyone were still confused about this disease coz it comes for one in 2 lakh people. The same injection continued there as well. 2 days went past. By Monday his condition become more severe. 0% movement in his body. Totaly down. In between all possible times, somehow I used to get in the ICU and speak with him and gave him the confidence. Tuesday, the 5th day, for all our relief, doctor informed that, the disease is not progressing,
eventhough it has not reduced. Means it will start recovering. Hearing that good news, I started back to bangalore. Now hez moved out of ICU and is now in general ward. Atleast another 20 days it needs for Physciotherapy. Then hopefully he'll be alright and can comeback as our old deepu. I get updates every now and then from his brother.
Thought of composing such a big blog, 'coz all these incidents have really touched my heart. Blogging this out of my feelings. Still manymore things to say..
but....
I had lot of self learning. I could understand what life is all about and more over others feelings. A very big learning curve. But I don't want anymore such incidents to happen. Have got enough experince for a life time. I thank most of my friends who was there involved directly or indirectly in all these situation. I should nameout one person especially, who was there fully or partially with me in all the above incidents. My friend Subhash alias Sinkom. Am proud to have a friend like him. A Friend in Need is a Friend InDeed !!!
