“Universal Legend of Medicine”, “King of Hearts”, “Professor” and “Sir” are all titles described him, yet I would like to call him “A human”, as this is the real secret of Professor Magdy Yackoub’s greatness.
Acquiring titles is not the achievement man seeks throughout the journey of his life, but rather it is to know the meaning of life, appreciate the value of his existence, role, and mission in it, man shall seek to achieve that with all the talents, faith, humanity and effort granted to him. This is the journey purpose, and undoubtedly, any acquired titles are a result of this man’s great character.
Since his early life, the “King of Hearts” owns a great heart which beats with wonderful intense emotions which share others’ sufferings and pleasures, it is no surprise he has chosen for himself the tough path of pain which at the same time is the path of hope and happiness.
In an interview with MBC Channel, he declared that his desire to become a heart surgeon goes back to his father, who had been a general surgeon, adding that another reason is the death of his aunt at her early twenties during giving birth to her baby, as a result of heart valve stenosis. This had grieved his father a lot, making the little boy decide to become a heart surgeon while he was still 4 or 5 years old!
Thus, his sincere humanity began to form and search for the path which would relief people’s pains in anywhere, in order to restore hope and faith to them. He has chosen to be a human, and along his journey to achieve this, he became a great figure! His name is engraved not only in the memory of history, or in Guinness Records – for he performed a hundred heart surgery in one year!- but also in all hearts which are granted healing by God, together with their families and friends.
Throughout his journey of humanity, he devoted himself to work, studies and researches, not for the sake of acquiring wealth or more merits, but for the sake of human. He has received countless merits and honors, yet he often reiterates that his favored merit is the improvement he witnesses in his patients’ health: “… what grants me inner happiness is reaching a new discovery that affects thousands of people, is applied to millions and enables us to see a child who has managed to live healthy”. So he submitted all his talents, energies and time to serve his patients, that his daily sleeping hours decreased to be only four!
And thus, his life has become a continuous series of nonstop giving, especially regarding those who are in great need of him, he set out towards poor areas all over the world to restore hope, launching medical journeys in which free heart surgeries are performed and new medical energies are trained, like Ethiopia, Mozambique, poor regions in Asia and Latin America,… and to be continued.
The General Bishop
Head of Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
