Dear Old Cottonians and Well-wishers,
We had been informed that Mrs deMellow had a fall in her apartment, has been hospitalized and will undergo surgery today. Mr. Bhatia was there to help her like he has done for decades. The OCA will continue to assist, and seeks support in this ongoing effort:

BM Singh’s email to Mr Bhaita in response to his email also appended below:

Dear Mr Bhatia,

Thank you for your mail. This is distressing news and makes the task of all concerned even more difficult. Your efforts are to be lauded and your continuing support appreciated.

Bad luck it certainly was to have Mrs DeMellow fall in the manner she did bring alive our worst fears. After my visit to you in the company of Mr N K Mehra, we had agreed to send a monthly contribution of Rs 10,000 and this has been put in place with the last payment effected earlier this month. We have so far effected a payment of Rs 30,000 to Mrs DeMellow’s account, as agreed.

While we will certainly visit Mrs DeMellow, we have just spoken to Dr S K Sridharan who was previously the Director of Holy Family Hospital.

Mrs DeMellow is in the general ward on the first floor. She will be operated upon tomorrow. The surgeon is Dr P Sharma, a competent person. Word has been spread around the hospital that the patient is a VIP and they will give her due attention and also offer her the lowest possible fee costs. We have a corpus that will be used to contribute to Mrs DeMellow’s hospital expenditure. So, please do let us know what we can do to assist within the constraints of the funds we have collected – and our abilities. We are ready and willing to extend ourselves.

Mr Khurana, and I are traveling this week. Mr N K Mehra is occupied with care of a mother who is 92 and a mother in law who is in her 80’s and is a patient of Parkinson’s. It seems we are in the same age group as you with much the same set of constraints but stretching ourselves as best as we can!!

Mrs DeMellow is lucky to have the kind of support base that few in this country can expect under the circumstances. Your efforts extend considerable and the OCA community is there to aid and assist as best as it can. We work as a team!

While on the subject of future care, we would also request you to ascertain whether she can find a place in a good old age home like the one you were referring to. We on our part shall also try to locate one like the one in Dwarka.

My best wishes
B.M.Singh

Email from Mr. Bhatia to BM Singh [OCA India President] :

Dear Mr. Singh

The bad news is that she [Mrs DeMellow] had fallen down at her residence and was apparently lying there for many hours before her morning maid came for work. Since Mrs. deMellow did not open the door, the maid came rushing to my house. I had gone there with the bunch of keys, but the wooden door could not be opened as the key was stuck there from inside. I had to call the President and General Secretary of RWA and in their presence with the help of our RWA workers, we were eventually able to open the door only to find her lying on the floor. She was picked up by four persons and placed on the bed. We called a known Orthopedics doctor who on seeing her leg declared that she has a fracture and should therefore be removed to the hospital. I had accordingly called the ambulance and with great difficulty was able to take her to Holy Family Hospital opposite Escorts where after four hours of x-ray and testing, it was declared that she has a pelvic bone fracture. Since at that place, plaster is ruled out, there will be surgery and possibly the Doctors may have to insert a rod. However, because of Eid, senior Doctors were not available and therefore they will take the final decision tomorrow and accordingly may operate upon her in one or two days. I have deposited the initial payment of Rs. 11,000/-. For normal operation, the approx. expenditure may be around 40K, but if the rod is to be inserted, the operation may cost more than a lakh [Rs 100,000] as informally told to me, which I have promised them. However, the Ortho Dr. there was hopeful that it may not be necessary to insert the rod.

I am writing this mail not to seek any financial assistance from you, but keeping you informed about her health and possibly on humanitarian grounds, someone from BCS could possibly visit her in the hospital. But more than that, her shifting after the operation to an age old home will be absolutely necessary as I strongly feel that after her return it will be virtually impossible for her to live alone as she would be needing 24-hour assistance which an age-old centre only can provide. I have been told that there is a home in Dwarka specifically for Christians and one Dr. Mathews is in-charge there where possibly she can be shifted. I am trying to ascertain the position myself, but would also appreciate if you can render some help in this regard keeping in view the concern highlighted by all of you during our personal meeting and subsequent emails/discussion. I will go to the hospital again tomorrow but I have my own limitations as I am also now around 70 and therefore have my own problems and commitment like any other person of my age.

With best wishes,
IL Bhatia