Leadership in a Moment of Humanity: Dr. Adam Hamawy at a New Brunswick Fundraiser
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By Syed Ali Rizvi, The India Observer, TIO: At a recent community fundraiser in New Brunswick, an unscripted moment revealed more about leadership than any prepared speech or campaign message ever could.
Adam Rizvi, founder and Chief Editor of The India Observer, attended the event in his personal capacity to support congressional candidate Dr. Adam Hamawy. Despite managing a pre-existing health condition, Adam felt it important to be present. While seated near the front, he began to feel unwell. Not wishing to disrupt the event, he quietly stood up to move toward the back of the room. As he did so, he became lightheaded, experienced visual disturbance, and collapsed.
When he regained consciousness moments later, he found himself surrounded by fellow attendees bent over him with genuine care and concern. Calm, reassuring voices told him not to worry — that several doctors were present, that his blood pressure appeared to be dangerously low, and that an ambulance had been called. Those words, spoken with clarity and compassion, were deeply reassuring.
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Medical professionals later indicated that Adam’s blood pressure had dropped to approximately 60/40, a serious and potentially life-threatening situation. The immediate on-site medical response, followed by rapid transport by ambulance, proved critical. Adam is currently stable and recovering at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
What stood out most during this incident was the response of Dr. Adam Hamawy himself.
At the time of Adam’s collapse, Dr. Hamawy was on the podium delivering an important fundraising speech. Without hesitation, he stopped mid-speech and rushed to Adam’s side. He personally attended to him, remaining present along with other medical professionals and volunteers until emergency services arrived. There was no attempt to continue the program, no concern for optics, and no calculation about timing. His response was immediate and instinctive: someone needed help, and he acted.
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I am Adam’s elder brother and live in Boston. I learned of the incident through missed calls and a message from a friend who was present at the event. When I called back, I was put in touch with a healthcare professional on site who calmly explained what had happened and assured me that my brother was receiving proper care and had been transported to the hospital for evaluation. That reassurance, delivered with professionalism and empathy, meant everything in that moment.
Politics often asks voters to judge candidates by their policy positions, fundraising ability, or rhetorical skill. Yet leadership is often revealed most clearly in moments of crisis — especially when there is nothing to be gained. By placing a fellow human being’s well-being above his own speech and campaign event, Dr. Hamawy demonstrated qualities that are too often missing from public life: compassion, humility, and service.
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In a time when public cynicism toward politics runs high, this moment offered a quiet but powerful reminder that character still matters. Leadership is not only about what is said from a podium; it is also about how one responds when plans are interrupted and a human life takes precedence.
That evening in New Brunswick, Dr. Adam Hamawy showed exactly what people mean when they say they want leaders who put humanity first.
Editor’s Note | Adam Rizvi, founder and Chief Editor of The India Observer
I started my afternoon on covering Hoboken Mayor and was to cover in the evening Dr. Adam Hamawy in the evening, when I passed out among the group of over two dozen Doctors.
Curated By Humra Kidwai
