Earlier this year, Kelini Saolapurkar graduated with flying colours from the MVJ Medical College. She won a gold medal in Forensic Medicine accompanied by a prize of Rs 10,000.
In a magnanimous gesture, Dr. Kelini has donated her prize money to The Arundhati Foundation.
Here is a little note that she wrote to share her sentiments
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Aru and I are family friends. From childhood, although we never got much time to spend with each other, we still managed to make some sweet memories..
Although she was only 2 years older to me, there was a different calmness she used to exude. Her ways, and the things she used to talk about always made her seem way more elder, for me.
Back in our childhood, when we were barely teenagers, both our families went for a short trip, and the care and affection she showed to her little brother caught my eye. So much compassion for a girl barely 13 years back then …
When we both started MBBS, we got in touch and got opportunities to make more memories .. I happened to join my course a month later due to counselling schedules and it was she who guided me in my first few days in this profession, where I had no idea how to go about covering the backlog of the days I had lost.
She seemed so perfectly calm about the way she guided and dealt with things, I used to wonder how she managed so much without getting into a panic !!
She not only helped me, she also helped my friend Sanjana through MBBS while they studied in the same college.
Although we got busy in our own lives, these few instances had sowed seeds of deep respect in my heart for her..
I still have the books she gave me and I remember her every now and then.
For being the one who helped me thru my first few days in medicine, she was like my launch pad launching me into MBBS and inspiring me to work hard persistently and still stay humble as ever !
She was one of the first few people who called me “Kelu”, and I called her “Aru”.
We were Aru and Kelu for each other and so we shall always remain.
-Kelini