Hospitals can be a fertile ground for doing a random act of kindness. A friend of mine witnessed this firsthand when she was confined at a government hospital for high fever. While waiting for a private room to be available, she was temporarily placed in the charity ward. The ward was full, and at some point, it was even overflowing. She couldn't wait to get out of there.

The patient beside my friend's bed was an old woman who was there for a broken arm. She had been confined for over a month, as her family didn't have enough money to pay her bills even with the help of the social services. While my friend had family and friends to visit her everyday, the old woman was lucky to get a visitor once a week; there just wasn't enough money for her family to come and visit her.

And yet, observing her, my friend never saw her sad. She was always smiling, and always helping out other people. She volunteered, for example, to look after the visiting child of another patient, while that patient's caregiver went to look for the doctor. She told the girl stories and kept her entertained until the caregiver returned. Another time, she cared for a teenage patient who had fever and who also did not have visitors. She seemed to be so full of hope that it was difficult for other people around her to remain down.

My friend was so touched at the old woman's selflessness and kindness that she vowed she would do something for her. Learning about her financial difficulties, my friend decided to forgo the private room. She stayed at the charity ward, and when it was time for her to check out, she paid all the old woman's bills anonymously and donated an amount for her to take home. She was there when the social worker told the old woman about the bills and the donation, and the sight of the old woman crying with happiness made it all worth it for my friend. To this day, she said that she has not forgotten about the hospital angel, and how that old woman had made a difference in her life.