In Celebration of Being Alive is a story written By South African Surgeon, Dr. Christiaan Barnard. The story,“In Celebration of Being Alive” explores the theme of enjoying the gift of life and cherishing its value.
In Celebration of Being Alive Summary By Christiaan Barnard
Summary of In Celebration of Being Alive in English
Dr. Christiaan Barnard was a famous Heart Surgeon from South Africa who carry out world first human to human heart transplant. Dr. Barnard’s chapter story starts by saying that he does not comprehend the motive of suffering in life.
He say, that this year 125 million children are born, out of which 12 million will not even reach age of 1, 6 million would die before the age of 5 and rest of the children ends up with mental and physical problem. And the reason for his negative thinking was his accident. Few years ago, he met with an accident while crossing the road with his wife.
Dr. Barnard and his wife were hit by a car when they are crossing the road. They both were very badly injured in car accident which kept them away from their work for some time. He was very angry as it happened to him and his wife. Dr. Barnard remembers his father’s words, one day his father told him that god gives suffering to those people to whom they love the most and he gives it to them suffering to make them a better person.
Dr. Barnard’s first introduction to suffering was when he was a kid, when his elder brother was born, his heart was an abnormal and that time there were no expert heart surgeon due to which his brother died in child age. As a Doctor, Dr. Barnard was always concerned with the suffering and problems of children. It is because children and their parents believe in Doctors, they believe that Doctors can cure their illness and relieve them from suffering and pain.
His perception change from suffering to appreciation of life when he was in Cape Town Red Cross Children’s hospital. In hospital, he saw two children playing with food trolley as if it was a car. Out of two children, one of them was blind and other had only one arm, both were playing with food trolley like it is a car and rest of the children in hospital were encouraging them.
The happiness and spirit which Dr. Barnard sees in children was an eye opener for him. Dr. Barnard learn from this two children, how we should live a life. He says, we start appreciating every moment of our life when we see suffering around us.
The people who are courageous and has positive attitude for their life, they move forward in their life despite their pain and sorrow.
Recommended Reading
Sunrise on Hills By H.W Longfellow
English 
हिन्दी
Pingback: Summary of Poem, Heaven, If You Are Not On Earth