| Angelo Lobo was the pride of the Lobo Family.He rose to the heights of Air Commodore in the Indian Air Force. He became the direct advisor to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the Defence Minister of her cabinet, on top secret and stategic planning of the air defence of India, during times when India, China and Pakistan were on warring terms.Angelo Lobo was one of the key persons in the testing and approval of the Russian AN 32 aircrafts for India. These aircrafts have till date provided uncomparable and valuable service to the Indian Air Force.Angelo Lobo could have risen to be Chief of Air Staff of India but was transferred to being the Deputy Director of Civil Defence of India. During the Union Carbide Gas tragedy in Bhopal, it was Angelo and his team that planned and executed the whole air operation to rescue as many as they could. They risked their lives and aircrafts by pushing beyond permissible limits just to maximize the numbers that they could save.Unfortunately for Angelo, the gases he was exposed to caused him to develop lung cancer within a few months of the rescue. The cancer spread rapidly and no amount of treatment at the best hospitals in Delhi or Mumbai could save him. His loss was a great loss to India and the greatest loss to his entire family.The Indian Government recognized his great work and awarded him with a medal for his bravery. This medal was received post-humusly by his wife Gwen from the President of India.Angelo has another great story about him.While he was in the Air Force, he got engaged to Gwen who he met in Agra. One night on his was home from work on his motorbike, he had an accident where a cart wheel went over both his legs, crushing them. He lay unconscious due to pain and bleeding for a while, untill his cook came searching for him in the desolation and darkness of the night, in the wild rurals of Agra.The doctors in Agra and Delhi tried to save his legs but were not confident of success. The only option was amputation. This would cause Angelo dreams of continuing to fly in the Air Force to literally come crashing down. His fiance, a woman of great faith and perseverence didin't want to give up. She insisted that she and Angelo should fly to Lourdes in Southern France, the place where Our Lady appeared in the Grotto. He was taken there on a wheel chair all bandaged up. The doctors in France monitored him and advised Gwen that if they did not immediately proceed with the amputations, the situation would turn deadly due to gangerine setting in. The flesh on both the lower sections of his legs were rotting as there was no blood supply going there.On reaching the Santuary of Lourdes where the stream of healing water flows into pools, Gwen prayed and then pushed Angelo's wheelchair into the water. Angelo screamed in pain and at his wife asking her if she wanted to kill him by doing so. She continued praying and then pulled him out of the water. They then went back to the doctors in France and asked them to proceed with what they though was best for Angelo. To the doctor's and everyone surprise they found that the blood vesels supplying blood to those portions of his legs had healed and blood suppply resumed. This showed slow but sure signs of healing. The doctors were amazed and wanted to know what exactly Gwen and Angelo did and how they managed to get this healing. The newspapers in France then splashed the articles about this Miracle. Cuttings of the articles are still preserved by the Pinto family.The recovery of Angelo's legs was slow and took 8 years. The recovery involved grafting of flesh and skin from different parts of his body to the damaged portions of his legs, as much of the flesh and skin there has rotted.He hadn't walked fro almost 8 years and had to use crutches even at his wedding. Finally the physiotherapist had to teach him to walk like one would do with a toddler.Angelo not only walked but resumed his duties and the Air Force and flew some of the most challenging of aircrafts.Before he passed away, while he was in his advanced stages of Cancer, Pope John Paul II had visited Mumbai, Goa and then Delhi. Angelo was chosen as one of the few terminally ill persons to meet with the Pope and get his special blessings. Angelo declined the invite. He stated that he had already been granted one great Miracle in his life and this time he would want someone else to receive a Miracle of healing through the Pope's visit. So some other terminally ill person must've thanked Angelo for the opportunity.But more than any of these great happenings, the people who knew Angelo knew him for his great generosity and love. He was talented and a daring achiever and never ever let his power and position get the better of what values were inculcated in him by his parents and teacher.Such was the great peron Angelo Reginald Lobo. |
