Dravid Skype-ing with a cancer patient – Another Quora answer

Answer by Anonymous on Quora:

What is Rahul Dravid like in real life?

I do not write much on Quora. But the question is very tempting for me. I had a very wonderful experience with Dravid which I will cherish for lifetime.

A year back, my friend was seriously ill with Cancer. He was a huge fan of Dravid. So much that whenever he batted he recalled Dravid’s shots and tried to emulate them.

One day a couple of us went to see him in hospital. He was being treated for blood cancer. His condition was critical and chances of recovery were negligible. We used to discuss cricket a lot. Even during his critical condition, when it was extremely difficult for him to utter simple words, he would relish any discussion on cricket. When we were leaving, he expressed a desire to talk to Dravid. We started contacting Dravid from all the possible sources we could. Though we did not hope that we will get any reply from Dravid.

A few days later, one of us got a call from Veejeta, Dravid’s wife. Dravid had gone through our emails. She was definitely touched by our efforts and expressed Dravid’s desire to have a Skype chat. We were unsure if Dravid could make it because of his busy schedule.

But he did. Dravid talked with my friend in the hospital for almost an hour. He apologized for not able to come in person. The smile on my friend’s face was precious. He was beaming with happiness. Not just that, Dravid talked with his parents, his doctors and all other patients in the ward.  Dravid made sure that he left my friend and his parents motivated after the conversation. After that hour there was positive vibe in hospital.

We recorded the entire conversation. Unfortunately, my friend could not survive the harshness of cancer. The gesture which Dravid showed definitely made him gather courage for some part of his fight with cancer. When I watch the video I see my friend’s face smiling and content. I feel proud that during his last days we were able to make him smile.

In case you read this, thank you Rahul Dravid!

Edit:
I am glad to see such a response. There are a couple of request to share the video. But I will resist. This is personal and I would like it to be that way. I do not mind sharing a screenshot.

Edit-2:
The video is now accessible to public on YouTube. We hope that the message reaches Rahul Dravid and other people who are working to make the world a better place by their kind acts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VAUUlgvPdI
This has been an emotional journey for all of us. You can find more details at http://akshaydhokememorialtrust.org