Pay it forward

Not long after he came to the U.S. from India, Devang Patel, CFP, CLU, broke his leg playing volleyball. He had no health insurance, and his parents weren’t able to pay his medical bills. To Patel’s surprise, the doctor said, ”No charge – just pay it forward.”

“They could have given me a payment plan or asked me to pay later. They didn’t do anything like that,” said the 16-year MDRT member from Edison, New Jersey. “I think the guy just looked at me and what I was trying to do in life. Sometimes you just help people in your life, and he decided to help me.”

The fortunate incident had a major impact not just on how Patel runs his business but on how he embraces the Whole Person concept. It is why he spends about 10 work days per year volunteering with MDRT and local organizations, totaling about a month and a half each year. He says the MDRT focus on the Whole Person concept also drives him to spend more time with his family, coaching soccer on the weekends and going to all of his son’s events at school.

“Without MDRT, I would not be where I am or the person I am,” he said.