It was all about family history
by Vicky Garnier Barshis
In the early 1800’s, Dr. John Scudder became the first medical missionary to India from the US. I’m a direct descendent of “Pioneer John” as they call him in India, and Dr. Ida Scudder is my first cousin, 4 generations removed. I can remember listening to stories of the Scudder legacy from my grandmother when I was a teenager, and feeling a special connection to the Scudders in India. As a teacher and a social worker dealing primarily with health issues, women and children, and poverty, that feeling of connection grew even stronger.
I flew into Chennai, India (formerly Madras), and my first stop was Scudder Memorial Hospital. I was warmly welcomed and shown all around the campus. The obvious faith and dedication of all the employees I met were heartwarming. I toured the new women’s OB/GYN unit that was under construction and still just a shell—I was thrilled to receive photos of the unit’s grand opening just a few weeks later! The hospital’s focus on outreach to the poor was inspiring!
During my trip, I was blessed to stay on the campus of CMC Vellore. It is absolutely beautiful, filled with banyan trees, flowers, and other landscaping. Reena George, a doctor, professor, and author, gave me a wonderful tour of the medical campus, the hospital itself, and various Scudder heritage sites in Vellore, such as Ida’s first clinic, and the cemetery where many of our Scudder ancestors (including Dr. Ida) are buried.
I had no idea that the hospital, CMC Medical Center, was so huge. It covers many blocks in Vellore, as building after building have been added to house specialty units, clinics, and more. In fact, it is so huge that a new campus was added in Ranipet (about ten miles away) a few years ago. In my profession, I have visited many hospitals, but this may well be the most modern and efficient hospital I have ever toured. Taking all that they learned at the original hospitals, they have set up amazing systems for smoothly serving many patients and their families daily.
The Ranipet campus houses many of the advanced specialty units, and a free shuttle bus runs regularly between the two hospitals for patients who are referred to Ranipet for advanced care. The best specialists are lured to work there with the provision of housing for the doctors and their families on campus—there are even a grocery store and a school right on campus for the families’ children.
The bishop of the Church of South India (CSI), Bishop Sharma, invited me to have breakfast at his home, and it provided an opportunity to meet many other members of the diocese leadership team. Joining us was Ms. Nirmala Margaret, the director of the new CMC campus in Chittoor. It was a lovely, warm occasion, and I was gifted with flowers from Bishop Sharma’s garden.
A highlight of the visit was visiting the secondary school that the Scudder Foundation supports in Arni. It now serves over 250 students, most of whom live on campus in a “hostel” (what we would call a dorm). When I arrived at the school’s entrance, the school band was there, playing to welcome me. Such a delightful surprise! The rest of the students were sitting on the ground under a huge banyan tree awaiting my arrival. To my surprise, I was asked to join the teaching staff on a stage in front of the students, and then to give them a short speech. My old teaching skills kicked in long enough for me to share a few words about how delighted I was to see them and how important their education would continue to be in their lives.
The students dispersed and headed to their classes, and the lead teacher offered to show me their classrooms. Yes! The first class was the Tamil class for the youngest students (the students have both Tamil and English classes). After greeting me, the kids wanted to have a picture with me, and I invited them to come gather around. I gave them a thumbs up—and got some blank looks. I had fun teaching them what a thumbs up is—and then what two thumbs up mean. The result included lots of enthusiastic grins—and thumbs up! I also visited the other classrooms, and was particularly impressed to find the oldest students working in a computer lab, practicing skills that will take them far.
I think what moved me the most was the overwhelming Scudder presence that remains in all of these places. Dr. Ida’s words and images are present in all of the buildings and public spaces, and her spirit and faith are pervasive everywhere. The desire to reach the marginalized and underserved was clear everywhere I visited. Perhaps my biggest takeaway is what an incredible difference just one person can make. It reminds me that I, too, am just one person and that I need to continue my efforts to make the world a better place for those around me!
