By Dr Agam Jung, Consultant Neurologist

My name is Dr Agam Jung. I am a Consultant Neurologist, which means I diagnose and treat some of the most complex brain and spine related conditions like Motor Neurone Disease. Whilst I have lived in the UK for most of my adult life, my childhood and initial doctor training was in India and I am Hindu and follow its philosophy and spirituality. I firmly believe that religion is a private matter and must not be brought into the workplace, but the day Rob died, the cultural differences in managing grief at death struck me hard.

The next day, we were to break ground for the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease and instinctively I reached out to my roots. I felt the need to carry out an ancient ritual to represent our hopes for a smooth and successful journey ahead, heralding a new beginning. Rob’s death less than 24 hours from breaking ground again reinforced to me the Hindu concept of Karma and Dharma (duty).

Once the media and guests had gone, with a small group that included architects and builders, we took part in the symbolic gesture of breaking a coconut. The outer tough shell of the coconut stands for the ego, which we surrender to the gods. By breaking the shell, we let go of our pride, and so humility guides us. The pure white inside represents peace, a reminder that our intentions should be rooted in harmony and goodwill. The water that flows out is a symbol of purity, washing away any obstacles and ensuring the project is blessed with clarity and positivity.

---

Rob Burrow Centre for MND Blog: The Lord Mayor's Visit

---

And the coconut's three eyes carry their own meanings—Yash, representing fame; Vaibhav, symbolising glory and eminence; and Samriddhi, standing for prosperity. Through this small act together, we hope the work for The Rob Burrow Centre proceeds without obstacle, bringing joy and prosperity to all those involved.

It was certainly a poignant  moment when we did this back in June. I had thought that I would have done this with a couple of people only and I was really honoured when the builders and architects chose to join in because they wanted to. This was demonstrated just recently when I visited the site to see how work was progressing. One of the bricklayers, Mark, pulled me to the side and asked if I wanted to see the blessed brick. I wasn’t totally sure what he meant at first, but I remembered that we had broken the coconut on a concrete brick, and the builders had then taken the step to make this brick a part of the new centre’s foundations.

It was so touching as they proudly showed me the brick with the word Bless on it. Whatever your beliefs, we all come together when we think about our care and support for the MND community and I’m certain that the new centre will be a beacon of hope and a sanctuary for those living with Motor Neurone Disease and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has contributed in so many different ways.

 

Rob Burrow Centre for MND Blog