Save A Life's New Friend, Andrew
By Dr. Ceres Baldevia-Gay

Last October 2003, I observed at the pediatric ICU of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and was generously and graciously hosted by the Nadkarni family at their home in Media, Pennsylvania.

On October 29, Vinay Nadkarni (Andrew's dad) asked me to go to Andrew's school, the School in Rose Valley, for a "show and tell" about the Philippines and my work. I showed them pictures of our country and the hospital where i work which is at the Department of Pediatrics of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, a tertiary government hospital, that takes care of the poor children of Negros. During the "show and tell", I also gave each of them a Philippine coin as a souvenir.

Andrew must have been moved by the stories and pictures that after the show and tell, I found him in the arts and crafts corner of the room making an envelope. He then brought this envelope around his school and asked for donations from his teachers while telling them my story about my patients.

When he went home, he opened his piggy bank, took his savings and put it in the envelope. He was saving that money, $33.00 so far, for something to buy for himself this Christmas. He even placed in the envelope the 10 centavo coin that i gave him as souvenir.

I was deeply touched and overwhelmed by the generosity and unconditional love of Andrew, his family (most especially Andrew's parents, Vinay Nadkarni and Ellen Deutsch), and schoolmates. Theirs is a true testimony that making a difference knows no boundaries.

9 year-old Andrew Nadkarni holding his envelope with friends