A Doctor's Legacy

2 years. 2 long years of struggle. 2 long years of pain. 2 long years of suffering. But it was finally over. The pandemic had taken the lives of those both close and far and though it was over, the shadows of those who had lost their battle were everpresent in the eyes of the grieving. We had to keep going though; for those we had lost along the way, this was the only way to honour their legacy and prove that mankind would not take a trial like this laying down. We would never stop fighting. In the darkness, specks of light appeared throughout the world, proving that as a collective, we had the power to endure anything.

For me the end of the pandemic meant the start of a new chapter. Seeing the suffering that so many endured and the hope that so many brought, I knew I wanted to continue on my path of becoming a doctor. And I had made it, here, now, today, I was going to try and be the one to bring light to someone’s life and make sure that I could help those in need. More than anything, the world needed to heal and I wanted to help on that journey. I had long awaited my first day working, and once it finally came, I knew that even the smallest act of help could bring a little light into the world.

I started with moving into my new office, though I could not help but feel the sorrow, knowing the man that came before me had sacrificed his life to work on the front lines. Dr Elsmore had been renowned for his work in this hospital and his commitment to helping those in need. He never tired, never complained, never refused to help, all the way until the end. Noone truly knew how he felt, but it would not be short of a statement to say he was truly a hero. As I began to empty my belongings into the various drawers, I noticed someone had left a little black book in the back.

I opened the book to the name Dr Charlie Elsmore. It seemed that rather burdening anyone with his stress, he had rather used writing in this book as a way to unload his burdens and escape to a world of his own. As I read, I realised, every patient that he had lost, he never truly forgot a single one of them. He was always trying to bring light back to the lives of their families. Once I had reached the back of the book I realised what this was, not a diary but a dying wish. The last page of the book had scribbled

“Although my time may be up, please take my savings and bring light to those who need it in their lives, after all the darkness.”

Attached to the back was a $20,000 check and a list of names of families in grieving. Even in death, Dr Elsmore refused to allow the darkness to overcome him, and refused to leave without a final spark.

As I finished reading the letter, tears began to swell from my eyes. I had become desensitized to death and I had lost grasp of the idea that each of these stats, each of these numbers, had a story, a family, they had dreams and ambitions, they had lives. I refused to allow this spark to fizzle. I had to help these people. The only reason I had become a doctor was to bring light back to people’s lives and now more than ever, people were living in darkness. As my shift came to a close, I realised what I had to do, and began on a journey that shaped the person I am.

The first name on the list was that of Elizabeth Foster. The more I learned about her, the more I realised the impact one human can truly have on those around them. Elizabeth had been a teacher, who even in the darkness of the pandemic, refused to allow her students anything less than a loving and warm teaching environment. She would dress up in a different costume, every morning, to bring a smile to their faces and every Friday would go and drop off cookies to each of their houses. If a student was ever missing or seemed a little sad during her online teaching, she would listen to their strife, letting them talk away their struggles. She had been a light.

Elizabeth was survived by her two year old daughter and husband. He was every bit as kind as his wife, using his time to help those in need. However, the grief had hardened his heart, and though he refused to stop helping those around him, his eyes were hollow and people said he no longer found happiness in the things around him.

As I approached their door, I was greeted by the two year old in the window, waving and smiling. It was clear that the light Elizabeth had possessed, passed over to her daughter, her smile, with the warmth of a sunrise, comforting me. Her husband opened the door and I could see that visitors were not common. He greeted me, and invited me inside, and as I took a seat, I began to tell him all the beautiful stories I had learnt about his wife. Her selflessness and how above all, she truly cared about the state of the world. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he continued to listen. I then opened my briefcase and brought out the gift I had brought. For the daughter, I had brought her the cookies that her mom had, without fail, given to every student. A small gift, a reminder that a little act of selflessness could go a long way. But for the husband, I asked if I could do what Elizabeth had done for so many others. Listen. And that I did. For hours her husband told me about the way he and Elizabeth had met, how he stole her heart, how she did his tie for him everyday. The more his tears streamed, the more he began to open up on the grief he had been enduring. The struggle without her. We sat until the early hours of the morning, and before I left, I made him promise one thing. He would keep fighting, and he would keep her spark lit.

Over the next few months, I gradually made my way down the list. From children to ex-convicts, they all had stories, they all had lives and I tried my best to make the lives of their families a little easier. For some, I paid their rent, for some I paid for gifts to help remind them of the person they had lost, for some I simply offered a hug, but for all I made them keep a promise to keep fighting. The money Dr Elsmore had given me would help light the fire in the hearts of these people, and know that they have the strength to keep going. The darkness the pandemic had brought would only unite us.

I had finally reached the last name of the book. I was on the last bit of money but I refused to allow myself to continue on without reaching every family on this list. As I read, my emotions began to overwhelm me. Elsmore. Dr Elsmore had left behind his wife. A woman with a heart of gold. She was often seen comforting those who were grieving and was never not seen helping her husband with his work. The other families had been easier for me, I had only known stories of them, but with Dr Elsmore, it was different. I had read his feelings, I knew his struggles, I knew his worries. Every step towards his door felt heavier and even raising my hand to ring the doorbell felt impossible. However, as the door slowly shifted open I was greeted by a smile, that released all the weight I had been carrying.

I greeted his wife, and told her I knew her husband. Her face beamed as she invited me in for some tea. As I entered the house, I looked at the various pictures around the house. The wall was plastered with memories of the couple going around the world and helping people. The light that I wanted to be, they had been that and so much more, for so long. The sitting room had aged and had a vintage charm about it, but the thank you cards that patients had given were placed neatly along the fireplace, reminders of the man he truly was. As I took my seat I began to explain to her the journey I had been on.

She listened closely and the more I told her, the more she smiled.

“He would be proud of you, bringing light in this darkness.”

That was all I needed. My emotions overcame me and I began sobbing. She placed my head onto her shoulder and comforted me, never crying but rather smiling at the legacy her late husband had left. I then pulled out the little black book and began to read her the words of her husband. Her smile was contagious and as she listened, her eyes began to water in happiness, learning about those he cared so much about. As I read the final lines, I rummaged in my bag for the final present. The last of the $20,000 that I had used to help the families.

“It’s a lantern necklace. It lights up to remind you, the warmth your husband brought to the world and how he never succumbed to the darkness.”

Hearing this, she finally broke, tears streaming. As she began to hug me, I spoke my final words

“Keep fighting for him. Keep helping others. And most importantly, keep bringing light to the world around you.”

I hugged her tightly, excited for the world I was walking into tomorrow.