The thought of the catastrophic second wave would send shivers down anyone’s spine.
The devastating wave of the on-going pandemic snatched many fathers away from toddlers, sons from elderly parents, wives from husbands and the vice versa. Scores of families were ruined and they are still trying to cope up with those unforgettable memories.
The family of Muousumi Mohapatra from Basudevpur in Bhadrak district is one among them. Mousumi lost her husband, Abhisekh Mohapatra, to Covid-19 in May last year. Then State came to know her plight when her distress requests for generous donations to save her Covid-19 positive husband made headlines. Abhisekh had tested positive for the infection just eight days after their marriage.
Now, once again, she has become the cynosure of all with her generous act being the talk of the town.
At the time of her husband’s treatment, many responded to her heart-wrenching appeals and came forward to donate open handedly. As the money received as donations from many kind-hearted persons couldn’t save her husband, she has decided to return the sum back to the society. On Monday, Mousami donated Rs 30 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) and Rs 10 lakh to the District Red Cross Fund and set a burning example for others.
Abhisekh had contracted the virus only a week after the marriage. Then Covid patients who needed ECMO treatment facility had to be airlifted to out of the State. And the treatment was costly.
With no option left, newly-wed Mousami pleaded to the public to extend financial assistance so that her ailing husband could be airlifted to Kolkata and his life could be saved. A fund raising campaign was launched. Actor Bobby Mishra too had appealed people to extend a helping hand to the family in utter distress. Donations started pouring in and Abhisekh was finally airlifted to Kolkata on June 7. But what happened thereafter was a cruel manifestation of the saying ‘Man proposes God disposes’. After fighting valiantly against the invisible virus for around three months, Abhisekh gave up.
With the thought that the money wasn’t anymore required when her husband was not around, Mousami decided to donate it so that no family faced a similar dire situation.
“I am thankful for people for showering their generosity on my family, particularly to save my husband’s life. But the money couldn’t save my family. And, even today, there are several families that are running from pillar to post to get their members cured from the infection. From the struggles I underwent I know how much it costs to a family to raise money at the time of need. For the benefit of such families, I have returned the money I received from the society,” Mousami said, with teary eyes.
Bhadrak district Collector Trilochan Majhi said that Mousami had in fact donated Rs 40 lakh to the society. “Today Mousami donated Rs 30 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and another Rs 10 lakh to the District Red Cross Fund. We have received two checks of the said amount from her. The Rotary Club, Bhadrak helped her in pledging the money. We will deposit the money in the CMRF,” said Majhi.