It's difficult to believe that two whole years have passed since the passing of Emeritus Professor Carlo Fonseka. For, even though we seldom came into direct contact with him, from the moment that we entered the Ragama medical faculty as first year students, the shadow of his presence was a constant in our lives.

We may not have learned from him, sitting in a lecture hall with him presiding over the podium, yet, from the faculty that he helped grow, and the teachers who learned from him and followed in his footsteps, to his defense of logic and science over myths that the society around us clung for centuries, to his expression of self through art, to standing up for what he believed was right, he influenced our lives, all the same.

We will be the generation of doctors who would tell tales about that one time we got to speak to him or hold his hand, because he truly was a legend who changed the course of the world for the better. We are fortunate to be inspired by a healer who healed not only the body but also the heart and the mind.

We, the Ragama medicos considered him not only our founding professor, but a role model, and the adored and respected head of our extended family. May be that's why, even while dealing with death regularly in our day to day lives as medicos, we felt his loss, on a deep and a personal level. He may have felt the same way, because after everything he has done for the university, he left the remains of the frame that he occupied throughout life, in the name of the faculty per his last will and testament; one last tribute to science and his beloved faculty.

Thus, it is with a renewed sense of sorrow and loss, that I recall his memories, even after two long years. But, we can console ourselves, well knowing that even though his indomitable spirit is gone, his name will continue to inspire many more generations to come after us.

Dr Udara Punnami Amarasinghe was a student in the 24th Batch of students in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya. Udara graduated MBBS with second class honours in 2019 and completed her internship at the Base Hospital, Wathupitiwala. Udara is a lyricist, writer and a freelance journalist. She was awarded the Sri Lanka Journalism Awards' Health Journalist (English) for the years 2017 and 2018.