This is one of our IMU seniors.
He sought to excel despite bad childhood
DAVID YEOWDr Vinod Laxmikanth’s fervent belief in God got him through his most painful period in his life. Now he shares his story of hope with the people he comes across. |
The product of an unplanned pregnancy, he grew up to see his parents divorce at 13. By 15, he was emotionally scarred. But he persevered in his dream to become a doctor. Today, he is a first year houseman who plans to specialise in paediatrics.
His friends constantly tease him as being every Indian mother’s perfect son-in-law, and it’s not hard to see why.
An Asean Scholarship holder by the age of 12, he left his home in Terengganu for Singapore, where he was named best athlete and top student at Victoria School for a number of years.
He also held the Singapore national Under-14 record for discus throw.
"But for a while, a rumour went around that I was a ‘test-tube baby’. I didn’t get it at first but soon realised that they meant to say that I was a designer baby," said the 25-year-old with a laugh.
In fact, the truth was far from the rumour. "My mother was pregnant with me when she married my father.
"It was an uncommon thing then. So they got married out of duty."
When he learnt that his parents were getting a divorce, Vinod was devastated as he blamed himself for the failure.
"I thought things would have been better if I had not been conceived. If the reason they got together was me, then the divorce wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t exist."
About a year after the divorce, things became worse.
His father, who had remarried, was cold and detached due to marital problems.
"I was left so confused."
His grades started dropping and he became more reserved. It was not long before circumstances forced him to give up medicine in Singapore.
When he was at his lowest point, he accepted a invitation to attend a religious event at the Singapore National Stadium.
Until this day, Vinod said that he does not remember a single word preached then. But Vinod claimed he saw a vision of God being with him at every dark and painful moment in his life.
"I literally felt a heavy weight lifted off me and gained a new confidence that everything will be all right."
Vinod returned to Malaysia in 2000 to stay with his mother in Kuala Lumpur and began to get back in the groove.
He re-sat his A-levels, got straight As and enrolled in the International Medical University, graduating last year.
At the same time, he started going to the Acts church in Subang Jaya, a move he said helped tremendously in his fight to overcome the negativity and abuse he had previously been exposed to.
"I felt God was bringing the right people to me to help with my emotional healing. The right pastor, the right church and the right friends."
Nothing about the University Malaya Medical Centre doctor hints of his troubled childhood.
According to his fiancee, Dr Tan Ling Ling, he sends many a nurse’s heart aflutter and the children in the paediatrics ward love being around him.
"Besides being a people magnet, he also loves to share his story with those willing to listen," she said.
But for Vinod, his reasons for speaking out are simple.
"I can’t help it. How God transformed me from a victim to a victor is the most outstanding thing about my life and I won’t stop talking about it."
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I guess it reminds me that yea, God can transform ashes into beauty.
If I didn't know his whole story and met him somewhere I would have thought that this guy had all of life's perks...a intern job at UMMC, a beautiful fiancee, confident, articulate.
But knowing the complete picture puts things into perspective. That this is just not an inspiring guy, but someone whom God has transformed and also someone who lives out this faith.
And I pray that this would be my life. To rejoice and to give God glory despite life's circumstances.
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