In Celebration of being Alive.pdf

Prose summary for In celebration of being alive by Christian Barnad

1. DR. CHRISTIAN BARNARD

2. Beethovanwas a great
musician who suffered
from hearing impairment

3. Demesthenessuffered from
Speech impairment
He is known as the Father of
Oration

4. Helen Keller was blind
and deaf
She wrote books like
‘Light in my darkness’

5. John Milton was blind
He wrote the famous
epic ‘ Paradise Lost’

6. Mozart was suffering from
congenital ear defect
He was a famous musician

7. SudhaChandiranis with
amputedlegs.
She is a well known
Bharathanatyamdancer

8. MariappanThangaveluisan
paralympichighjumper.Heis
India’sfirstParalympiangold
medalistsince2004

9. What is celebration according to you ?

10. But, according to Dr. Barnard , being alive
is important. Being alive is something great
to be celebrated

11. ChristiaanNeethlingBarnardwas
borninruralSouthAfricain1922to
poorparentsastheirfourthchild.
Heevincedgreatinterestinhis
academicsandwasdeterminedto
pursuemedicine,afterthelossofhis
brothertoacardiacailment.He
wonmanyscholarshipsandpursued
hishigherstudiesspecializingin
cardiacsurgery.Asacardiac
surgeon,Barnardfocussedon
congenitalandcomplicatedcardiac
conditionsforwhichtherewasno
cureatthattime.After
experimentingwith heart
transplantationonanimals,he
performedtheworld’sfirsthuman-
to-humanhearttransplantinthe
year1967.
Who is Dr.ChristianBarnard ?

12. Hegainedworldwiderecognition
andwentontodevelopmany
surgerytechniques,whichare
beingadoptedtilldate.Barnard
haspennedfourteenbooksand
235scientificarticlesthathave
beenpublishedinreputed
journals

13. Barnardsaid,“Ofthe125millionchildrenborn,12
millionareunlikelytoreachtheageofoneandanother
sixmillionwilldiebeforetheageoffiveandoftherest,
manywillendupasmentalorphysicalcripples.”

14. Dr.Barnardwonderedwhypeopleshould
suffer?Sufferingseemedsocruellyprevalent
intheworld.

15. He had this thought because of the accident
that he and his wife met with.

16. WhenBarnardandhiswifewere
crossingtheroadafterhavingameal,a
carhadhitthem

17. Dr. Barnard had eleven broken ribs and a
perforated lung. He could not attend his
patients who needed him badly

18. Hiswifehadabadlyfracturedshoulder.
Shecouldnottakecareofheryoung
baby

19. Heaskedhimselfthatwhyshouldthataccidenthappen
tothemwhiletheyhadsomuchofwork

20. Hisfatherwouldsay,“Suffering
ennoblesaman-makesamana
betterperson.”

21. ButasadoctorBarnardcouldnotseeanythingnobleina
patient’ssuffering.Hecouldnotseeanynobilityinthecryingof
alonelychildinawardatnight

22. But,hethoughtthatthepatientshadfulltrustin
Doctors.Evenifthedoctorshadfailed,they
accepteditastheirfate.

23. WhenBarnardandhiswifewere
admittedinthehospital,hehappened
toseetwoboyswhochangedhis
perceptionofsuffering
Boy with amputated arm
Blind boy

24. One morning a nurse had left a breakfast trolley
unattended.

25. Soonthetrolleywascommandeeredbytwo
boys–adriverandamechanic.Themechanic
wastotallyblindandthedriverhadonlyone
arm

26. Theyputonquiteashowthatday.Alltheother
inmatesofthehospitalencouragedthemwiththeir
laughterandshouts

27. Dr. Barnard compared the race to the
Indianapolis 500 car race

28. Therewasagrandfinaleofscatteredplatesand
silverwarebeforethenursecaughtupwiththem,
scoldedthemandputthembacktobed

29. Themechanicwassevenyearsold.Onenightwhenhismother
andfatherweredrunk,hismotherthrewalanternathisfather,
missedandthelanternbrokeoverthechild’sheadandshoulders.
Hesufferedseverethird–degreeburnsontheupperpartofthe
bodyandlostbothhiseyes.

30. AtthetimeoftheGrandPrix,hewasawalking
horrorwithdisfiguredface.Theonlywaythis
littleboycouldopenhismouthwastoraisehis
head.WhenDr.Barnardstoppedbytoseehim
aftertherace,hesaid,“Youknow,wewon”And
hewaslaughing
Disfigured face

31. Dr.Barnardknewthetrolley’sdriver.Afewyears
earlier,hehadsuccessfullyclosedaholeinhis
heart.Hehadreturnedtothehospitalbecausehe
hadamalignanttumourofthebone.

32. Afewdaysbeforetherace,hisshoulderandarm
wereamputated.Therewaslittlehopeofhis
recovery.AftertheGrandPrix,heproudly
informedDr.Barnardthatthetrolley’swheels
werenotproperlyoiled,buthewasagooddriver,
andhehadfullconfidenceinthemechanic.

33. Dr.Barnardlearntaprofoundlesson
fromtheboysingettingonwiththe
businessofliving.Thebusinessof
livingisthecelebrationofbeingalive.

34. It’snotwhatwelose
thatmatters,butwhatis
leftbehind

35. We can’t appreciate light if we haven’t
known darkness

36. We can’t appreciate warmth if we
have never suffered cold

38. consideration– careful thought
prevalent – common
cripples – people with some disability preventing
them
from performing certain normal functions
agony –extreme physical and mental suffering
Perforated –torn and damaged with holes
ennobles –(figurative use) makes dignified, morally
noble
thrash around (idiom) --to move about restlessly
sophisticated –(here) well-advanced
mutilating surgery –surgery involving removal of tissue even at
the risk of worsening of the patient’s
condition
Glossary

39. Grand Prix– (here) one of several international
motor-racing events
solace – comfort or consolation in times of
grief or pain
intrepid – bold and daring
Finale – climax or an exciting end
disfigured– spoiled or marred in appearance
malignant– (here, of diseases) very harmful to
life
tumour – diseased growth in some part of
the body
amputated– cut off by surgical operation
profound – very great

40. PRESENTED BY
N.J.GOMATHI,
P.G.ASSISTANT(ENGLISH),
GHSS, NEELAKANDARAYAPURAM,
RANIPET DISTRICT.