As Doctor Rishi Jasra sutured the fascia of his last operation room case, he wondered what could have led to his own father’s death? Was it jaundice, obstruction, the gut, uncontrolled diabetes? His memories of his father were vague. He was three when his father passed away from a long hospitalization and in the absence of proper treatment. His patient today was a man in his 40’s who had a perforated stomach ulcer, where he was saved by Dr. Jasra’s skilled team.

Later that day, reflected deeper on his childhood in India. For the majority of his childhood, he had grown up in a primarily poor sector of Punjab, called Ludhiana. It was just him, his single mother, and his sister. They had limited resources and lived under a tiny house, because it was all his mother could afford after the death of his father. His mother worked endlessly to make ends meet, she would work as a maid when her children were at school. In his family, his mother had always prioritized the education of him and his sister, and she made sure they went to the best schools throughout the years of his childhood. She believed that an excellent education was the foundation of a stable and successful life. 

From the age of 10, he knew from his mother strong opinions on education that he had to break the cycle of poverty and use his future success to help others, by becoming a doctor. Rishi made sure he had top grades in his school and excelled in his extracurriculars to ensure his future of becoming a doctor. He often struggled with his studies but he never gave up because he knew he had to make something better out of his life and make his mom proud after all she gave up for him. Rishi would spend his days studying and helping his mother work. Fast forward eight years later, Rishi’s hard work paid off and he got a scholarship from one the top premedical schools in his state. 10 years later, he finished medical school and became a doctor. He wanted to start a

new life in America with his mother. They left his home in Ludhiana and took their belongings to Long Island, New York.

Rishi practiced medicine as a cardiologist at St. Lukes in Long Island. His sister also moved to the US in Baltimore. He would work from 6:00 AM to 9: PM on most days. When he gets home, he eats dinner with his mother and helps her. Fast forward three years, he met his future wife in the infectious disease department at the same hospital he worked at. He married her and they had three children together: Krish, Ishani, and Aayna. His mother lived with them as well. Together, Rishi had the life he always wanted, but there was a missing piece in his life…

Rishi became caught up in his “perfect” life and it was almost as if he had forgotten about his origins in his village as a child. He had second doubts about giving back to India. Should he buy more luxuries, like his rich friends in America? Or should he be donating his money to poor children in India? Suddenly, Rishi felt lost in who he really was.

Every three years, Rishi goes on a medical conference trip with his doctor team, assigned by his hospital. This year it was in Montevideo, Uruguay for a stay of two weeks. When he arrived in Montevideo, he attended a conference for about two hours on the importance of Nystatin for children with infections. Later that day, when he was walking to his hotel, he was greeted by children selling bracelets. The children were no more than 8 years old and they were asking him if he wanted to buy their bracelets. Rishi did not have any pesos, so he replied “No, sorry. He walked on feeling apologetic, but he realized he and his sister used to help his mother sell paan, a traditional Indian street food, around the same age as those children. He felt the pain of those children, suffering in poverty. His realization led him to contemplate his purpose of moving to America, not only to start a family, but to give back to his community. He realized that he had been abandoning these values when he moved to the U.S. 

After his trip, he came back to the U.S determined to make a difference in his community. So, he booked a trip to India with his family, and arranged the funds to donate to India. He traveled to his home city and decided he wanted to use those funds to build a hospital in that area because there were many people living in Ludhiana who needed a hospital and shelter. Rishi met with the fundraiser leaders of the village and they told him about their plans for the hospital that would be built. Rishi and the other people who had donated towards this cause were told to come back to India in one year where the hospital project would be finished. In one year, Rishi and his family returned to Ludhiana. They saw the newly built hospital and the people receiving medical attention from the hospital. Seeing this, Rishi felt a sense of reconnection and gratification that he was able to help these poor people. In that moment, Rishi knew his younger self would be proud of the person he is today.