A closer walk with thee

When our father Dr Hirji Adenwalla sadly passed away on May 27, 2020 he left a different world behind, one which Covid-19 seemed to have changed forever. With one sibling in the UK and another in Singapore, trying to reach out to our parents and the rest of the family in India was, and is, an experience so surreal and incomprehensible that we are at a loss for words. Video calls, Skype and Zoom gave us means of communication but did little to preclude the sense of deprivation, confusion and frustration.
Our Dad was a man with simple tastes. He revelled in his profession, family and good food and loved walking. As children, these outings (which were something between a walk and a meander) form some of our fondest memories. The walks involved him recounting stories of his past, about the patients he was caring for, and also politics in medicine that ofttimes cast a shadow over his work. The walks involved impromptu games of who can hit the stone furthest or a brief chat with a dog or its owner and halts to inquire about the wellbeing of a former patient we encountered.

Gulnar and Dr Hirji Adenwalla on a walk

Looking back we realize that we as children learnt most of our life lessons with our father as we traversed the back roads of Trichur. He taught without intending to teach. We learnt compassion, generosity and the necessity of always standing up for what is just and fair. His compassionate gaze and soft voice guided us through this bustling and chaotic universe. We realized that it was not the craftsman in him that made him devote his life to correcting cleft lips and palates. It was his humanitarianism that longed to heal the internal scars these deformities caused. We learnt his life is about compassion, caring and never abandoning those afflicted.
With these thoughts in mind, daughter Meher felt a fitting tribute to his memory would be to traverse the length and breadth of Singapore, a distance of 800 km, on foot in 40 days. She hopes to raise funds for Smile Train, a charitable organization which exclusively helps disadvantaged children with cleft lips and palate deformities. Donations are welcome by direct bank transfer through NEFT/RTGS/IMPS. Account number: 700701707071394. Account name: Smile Train India. IFSC: YESB0CMSNOC (The digit after B is the numerical zero and the letter after N is O for Orange). For UPI transaction: supportsmile15@yesbankltd or, visit this link : https://www.impactguru.com/fundraiser/help-smile-train-india-1
Smile Train played a vital part in our father’s life when 20 years ago he was finding it difficult to finance the treatment of his patients. My mother Gulnar read about their work and some time later the Charles Pinto center became the first in India to partner Smile Train. It was through their generosity and unquestioning help that my father was able to place smiles on the faces of thousands of children and in doing so transform their lives forever.
We cherish memories of a person who was a committed and compassionate doctor, the most fun-loving and kind father and teacher, and most of all an extraordinary man who gave so much to so many.