And now the initial aphorism: “Only upright can principles be sown.”
On July 29, 2000, a great man of Argentine science died – also universally famous – in whom modesty was not a merit, but a necessity. His name was René Favaloro.
It was only 15 days ago that he had turned 77 years young.
He was a man who suffered all the pain of humanity as his own. His existence was the most complete demonstration that in times of impiety very pious men continue to be born.
There is an unwritten law in the media, which I will disobey. He says that those of us who use a microphone like the one at this moment should not refer to personal circumstances.
The death of Dr. Favaloro makes me think that to kill a majestic condor only a drop of poison is enough (or a single shot to the heart, in the case of the scientist.
The person speaking to you was hospitalized for 4 or 5 days in his Institute, here in Buenos Aires, 5 years ago.
Dr. Favaloro only operated. He hardly visited the boarding schools. Keep in mind that on the various floors of his Institute, there were always hundreds of patients, and he was dedicated to operating 8 to 10 hours a day. Additionally, as General Director, he carried out many other tasks.
I want to tell you a personal experience and this anecdote will express all my gratitude to Dr. Favaloro.
I know that a tribute to an illustrious dead person does not resurrect him. But it illuminates it.
I went in for a general checkup. A few hours later there is a knock on my room door.
-Can?. It was Dr. Favaloro, with his cordial smile who had the delicacy to visit me.
-Can I sit on your bed? He said, extending his hand to me.
-Of course!. He stayed with me for an hour.
Two nurses who entered at different times were surprised.
-I’m not a doctor, he told me. I only come to meet him. And he added:
-I know two of his aphorisms by heart. Shall I tell you? And the best-known one repeated to me first. The one who says:
“There are those who throw broken glass on the beach. But there are those who bend down to pick it up…”
-And the other one? I told him. I remember the other one because I have it under the glass of my desk. And this aphorism came from his lips:
-“The doctor who does not understand souls will not understand bodies.”
Clear. He certainly understood souls. I felt excited.
He came to see me on the four days of my hospitalization and never spoke to me about medicine.
He explained it to me: -Other doctors at my institution are in better conditions to advise you. I do surgery exclusively.
The last day – they had already discharged me – he came with one of his books: “Memoirs of a Rural Doctor”. And he added:
-In this book are my 12 years as a rural doctor in La Pampa. Forgive me for the lyrics, he finished, with the modesty of the great, who are always ashamed of their greatness. And he wrote me a very generous dedication.
In conclusion, Favaloro’s life was a true lesson in dignity, in good manhood. He was a kind of lay priest.
That is why the final aphorism wants to allude to his permanent fight against incomprehension, coldness, and selfishness.
And this is the aphorism for Dr. Favaloro whose death was not an individual death: “Great men perceive when they preach in the desert. But they keep preaching.”
Source: Ambito
I am a 24-year-old writer and journalist who has been working in the news industry for the past two years. I write primarily about market news, so if you’re looking for insights into what’s going on in the stock market or economic indicators, you’ve come to the right place. I also dabble in writing articles on lifestyle trends and pop culture news.
