Birth

A.J. Cronin

The story, Birth, is an excerpt from the novel The Citadel by A. J. Cronin. Birth is
a soul searching account of a doctor who brought to life a new born baby from the
lap of death. This dedicated act of the young and not much experienced doctor
brought immense joy to the parents.

You will agree that it is not the professionals but common people and children also
who rise to the occasion and give their best for the service of humanity.

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 The following is a story of Shivampet Ruchitha from Telengana who
received the National Bravery Award in 2016.

8-year-old Shivampet Ruchitha became the youngest person to receive the

award this year. On July 24, 2014, Ruchita saved two of her school mates
when a train hit their school bus. She noticed that their bus had stopped on a
railway track and a train was coming towards them. Showing extraordinary
presence of mind, she pushed two students out of the window and jumped off
the bus herself too. Unfortunately, she could not save her younger sister who
was sitting in the front row. Her younger brother sustained severe injuries, but
he has recovered. 16 students, the driver, and the conductor lost their lives in
that accident. She was honoured with the Geeta Chopra award.

This is what Shivampet Ruchitha felt after receiving the award (as told to
The Indian Express):
“It feels good to have the limelight and get an award from the Prime Minister.
But I wish I was able to save my sister, too, as we all miss her”.

 Read more stories of children who have received National Bravery Awards
for their rare feats of selfless service
There is a story of a great doctor, Dr. Christian Bernard who was a visionary and
pioneered the procedure of heart transplantation. Bernard rose from a humble
background. He was born in a rural town of Beaufort West in South Africa. He
studied in local high school and later got admission in medicine at the University
of Cape Town.

In 2017, the 50th anniversary of the first human to human heart transplant was
celebrated. This first, daring operation was carried out by Dr. Christian Bernard at
Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town on December3rd, 1967. This first of its kind
operation not only received immense attention all over the world but also paved the
way for later sophisticated, scientific heart surgeries.

 Read the book One Life by Christian Barnard. There is narration of the
story of excitement, anxiety, failure and success of the heart transplant
operation.

Let us Reflect and Write

 Read the last paragraph of the story Birth by A. J. Cronin:

A few miners were already in the streets: the first of the night shift moving out. As
Andrew walked with them , spent and slow, his footfalls echoing with the others
under the morning sky, he kept thinking blindly, oblivious to all other work he had
done in Blaenelly, “I’ve done something: oh, God! I’ve done something real at
last.

 Rewrite the story Birth beginning with the above mentioned last paragraph
of the story.
 Now write a story of a young medical professional, soldier, and teacher who
have transformed the life of someone with their intelligence, resources, skill,
and absolute empathy and commitment to their profession.