A good samaritan
When a story sounds too fantastic or unreal it may well be mistaken for a fairy tale from Hans Christian Andersen.
But this is a true story, described in an article by Susan Hazen Hammond in the January 1995 issue of the Reader's Digest. Stories reprinted in this magazine are recognized to have a lifetime value, transcending generations.
The story goes that there is a TV program called Entrevistas (Interview) on Channel 44, a television station in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The owner is Don Arnoldo Cabada, a good samaritan, born in March 1935 to poor parents. He created a unique TV program which is said to be the only one of its kind in the world.
Entrevistas, reportedly, is an hour-long, commercial-free show. So it surpasses CNN's Larry King Live, which is known to be harassed by frequent commercial interruptions.
Among the fabulous stories to emerge from the Entrevistas show is one about an eight-year-old boy, Jorge Ezequiel. He appeared on the show in a wheelchair, flanked by his mother Gloria Torres de Zamora. Jorge could not walk as he suffered from tuberculosis in his spine. To be cured, Jorge required a complex operation which his parents could not afford.
In response to Don Arnoldo's appeals for help, cash began to pour in from the viewers and the amount needed for the operation was raised. The medical treatment was successful and, several months later, Jorge and his happy mother, Gloria, reappeared on the show to thank the donators. He could walk again. "God bless you all," said Gloria. "I'm the happiest mother in the world."
More miraculous stories followed, with hospitals and surgeons coming to the aid of needy patients after appearing on Don Arnoldo's Entrevistas.
There are some striking facts about this human-interest story. First, the TV program's viewers are, generally, not well-to-do yet they contribute to the noble effort of helping the needy. Second, the philosophy that inspires Don Arnoldo in his crusade is that helping the less fortunate will make our lives worth living.
Perhaps it would be easier to understand if the ideal of making our lives worth living was connected to money motives such as a prosperous business, professional pursuits or career achievements. It takes moral awareness or religious faith and, perhaps, educational guidance, to link the concept with the common cause of helping the needy.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Hugo Roo Vasquez, who helped hundreds of patients free of charge out of admiration for Entrevistas, believes that if every town possessed a Don Arnoldo it would help solve a good deal of the world's problems.
Along with Dr. Vasquez, we pray that more Don Arnoldos will emerge henceforth and elsewhere on this globe, not only in Mexico.
SAM SUHAEDI
Jakarta