Branded an Evil Birth – Died an Angel of Mercy

By Abdool Aziz
HER young mother died in childbirth. Baby Kamla was branded by her dad as evil. He had preferred her death, rather than his beloved wife. She was the world to him. He placed Kamla in foster care.

Tragedy Again
The broken-hearted father took to the ‘bottle’ and lived recklessly. In the back dam he drove his tractor drunk. The vehicle pinned him to death. They all blamed Kamla. No one in the family showed any interest in her welfare and condemned her as an evil omen.

Foster Care
But her foster mother, Beatrice Agard, a retired nurse/midwife, had no time for superstition. All babies are born pure and angelic. There is no such thing as a bad omen in a child’s birth. But the stigma stuck on the innocent child. Even at school, they ostracised her, deeming her a devil who ‘killed’ her parents.

Miss Agard taught her at home. At age 16, she began training as a nurse and social worker. Miss Agard treated her as her own child and found her to possess great virtues. Serving people was her vocation. She was simply human and caring.

Another Tragedy
At the hospital, she met a male nurse and they fell in love and got married. He was dying of cancer. She wanted to love and care for him for whatever time he had left to live. After two years he died. Everyone blamed her for his death. He left her an insurance policy. She cashed it and opened a charity in his name for cancer research. She also renovated her foster mom’s home and began to care for her as she suffered a stroke.

The Patient
She was on duty that night when they wheeled him in, she had to administer saline and to her shock, it was her uncle `Bish’, who had inherited her father’s estate. He tried to hide his face and she saw his shame. But she consoled him by saying “Uncle Bish, What’s wrong?” He was suffering from an acute Urological Disorder, his kidney was shutting down and he needed a kidney.

This was same the uncle who banned her from her birth home and dropped her father’s title from the birth certificate. He scandalised her name, this time for revenge. Oh no! Time for forgiveness, she must also uphold the oath of her profession.

Donation of Life
All efforts were made to secure a donor. Much money was offered. No match was found. The patient was dying. She took the test, she was a match. She will donated one of her kidneys, not for the money but to save a life of a blood relative. That complex transplant took place at MT Sinai Hospital in Trinidad and was successful.

Uncle Bish made a financial contribution to her cancer charity and became very kind and loving. All the relatives showered her with love and praise and a Deed Poll reinstated the father’s title. She was family again. They called her ‘Angel of Mercy.’

Complications
The recipient of the kidney progressed well. But Kamla began to suffer complications. Sadly, she died from Renal Failure. All cried for the lady with a ‘golden heart’. Once condemned, now a heroine, she died to save another – the ultimate price. She was buried near to her mom and dad in the family cemetery. On her tomb it said: ‘An Angel at Sleep.’
The world can condemn – know thyself. There is good in all of us. Do not submit to superstition!