In Amma's Arms

"Pranams (Prostrations) to the love incarnate Amma. Our family is in a very bad financial state. We have many difficulties. We do coolie work (porter's work) to earn our bread. We will always be indebted to Amma for giving us treatment absolutely free of cost. Amma does such good things that no one else in the world does. We have no words to express our gratitude to Her. Amma, if this treatment in Amma's hospital was not available, today my daughter would not have been alive. We would never have been able to arrange this much money. I pray that Amma will always be with us......"

The words are simple. Coming from the lowest strata of society, they reflect the thankful heart of a father whose 7-month-old baby girl was delivered from the clutches of a sure and painful death. A picture taken post-surgery shows the baby smiling innocently, her tiny world as yet unaware of the magnitude of Grace that saved her life.

Scores of similar letters arrive at the AIMS Hospital everyday. AIMS is Amma's super-specialty hospital in Cochin, India, that she has instituted with the intention of providing high quality healthcare for people from all sections of society irrespective of their financial capacity. A highly qualified team of dedicated doctors and nurses provide the best of medical care, sweetened with the touch of love and compassion that Amma has inspired in them. The state-of-the-art facilities and the loving treatment often comes as a surprise to the impoverished recipient, as this letter testifies.

"Such a big surgery was done from here free of cost. This hospital has the most modern equipments, which are not usually seen in other hospitals. The doctors and nurses of Amma's hospital are very good. They looked after me in the same way a mother treats her child. Every one was very polite in this divine institution. This is something, which we can't even dream of. Every one in this hospital gave so much love to this child of Amma. Amma's son will always be obliged to Amma, the doctors and nurses for giving me the treatment absolutely free of cost. I am also thankful to every one in this hospital."

A member of the staff enters the patient ward. A devotee from halfway across the world, she has taken it upon herself to visit all the patients and give them Amma's vibhuti (sacred ash), prasad (consecrated offering) and Amma's photo. An unlikely candidate, it comes as a genuine surprise that she connects with them easily, wiping their tears, consoling them, conversing with them fluently in Malayalam. It is indeed the heart that gives the brain the right vision. Through such loving hands, AIMS is helping bring Amma's healing love to the people. Poor people, who before this may have not had the ways, the means, or the intent, for a brush with an all encompassing love such as Amma's.

"I am the youngest of the eight children of my parents" says a letter. "I was working in a plastic company at a very low pay. It was during that time I got symptoms of Tuberculosis. Both my legs became paralyzed. It was found out that I had T.B. in the backbone and so an operation was needed. We, who didn't even have a house of our own, couldn't do anything else but pray to God.....The Patient Services Department of Amma's hospital told us that they would do my operation free of cost. Now my wounds have healed. I am very happy that I received excellent treatment from the best doctors and nurses. Now I am feeling fine. I can move my legs, which were paralyzed. Now I can walk which I never thought I would be able to do."

The letters are many - their gratitude is touching. Even so, it is a mere glimpse of how Amma, even as She travels across the globe, reaches out to touch Her children in their hour of need. As the seemingly impossible is made possible by the Mother's touch, many leave the hospital deeply drawn towards a spiritually oriented life. They have known what mental and physical anguish is, and how a loving hand extended in help can transform whole lives - and perhaps that puts them one step ahead of the rest. For as Amma says, "One who has known through experience what sorrow and suffering is, will find it relatively easy to delve deep into spirituality."

"Amma is always in my heart. In happiness and sorrow, I feel Her presence with me." says a letter in closing. "I am still alive because of Amma."

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