Kanchan aspires to
become a doctor and no hurdles of her disability could stop her from striving
hard to fulfill her dream. She is from Vishupur Khurd village of Sardar Nagar
Block which is thirty Kilo Metres from Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh
State. She was born in the farmer’s family of Kailash Yadav and Sobha Devi. She
has three sisters and four brothers. Now she is twenty one years old student
preparing for Pre- Medical Test.
Her life took a tragic
turn at the age of three when she had a severe fever. Her parents took her to quack
doctor ( Joli chap) who gave her
several medicines and injections to beat the temperature which gave her
excruciatingly painful sleepless nights for several days. Finally she could
feel the paralysis that affected her legs and neighbours informed her parents
that she had become a victim of polio.
Her mobility was
impaired and her life was confined at her home. Her parents consulted some
doctors outside the village but all ended in vain to make any change. At the
age of four she used to move to the school that functioned under a tree. Her
informal visit gave her zest for learning and parents had no aversion towards
her desire to extend all their support to make her happy. Her father also
brought wooden
crutches and gave practice to use it. It was very difficult for her to move on crutches
and she used to cry aloud due to severe pain. He also bought calipers to help
her walk but that too could not give her comfort.
Institutional Intervention
It was the visit of a
Sister from Purvanchal Gramin Seva Samiti (PGSS) that transformed her life when
she was four years old. The Sister advised her parents to educate the child in
Ghaziabad. Parents who had deep desire to make her happy decided to admit in
Jeevan Dhara Hostel at Ghaziabad.for Persons with Disabilities, run by a
charity organisation. The expense was minimal and she attended a nearby school
till grade seven.
Life Changes after Corrective Surgery
When she was six years
old she underwent two corrective surgeries on her hip and knee from St. Stephan
Hospital, New Delhi. It was facilitated by Jeevan Dhara. The treatment was free
of cost, done to help the polio victims. This surgery enabled her to stand
straight on her feet with the support of a caliper. It put an end to her
movement on her arms and leg that was bended. With the renewed vigor and
enthusiasm she continued her education in Holi Child Secondary School till
grade ten.
For the invaluable
lessons she could learn from her hostel life, she is indebted to Sister Celin.
She learned how to face challenges and accept the disability in her life as a
reality to strengthen herself. Sisters inspired her to take part in programmes
and extracurricular activities. Her exposure to people suffering from various
disabilities made her feel that she was not alone in the world of
disability.She also learned ways of effective communication, the vital
information regarding the life of a girl, and ultimately how to be optimistic
and achieve success in life during her twelve years of hostel life in Jeevan
Dhara. She also used to attend physiotherapy sessions and regular physical
exercise that enhanced her health status.
Having completed grade
ten with flying colours, she returned home. Her father knew her aspiration to
become a doctor and got her admission in Saraswati Vidhya Mandir, Gorakhpur to
continue her higher education in science stream. She studied from hostel with
the support of her parents and completed the course successfully. By the time
she was eighteen.
Pursuing her dream to become a doctor
She joined Akash
Institute in Lucknow to attend Pre-Medical Test. After one year preparation she
attended the entrance examination but could not get through it. She was staying
at her sister’s home while attending the coaching. since 2012 onwards she has
been attending the same coaching programme from Gorakhpur. Meanwhile with the
support of Sister Shyamala who is working in the Community Centre at Dumri
village, she could find free accommodation in Gorakhpur. It was Father Jose from
Gorakhpur Diocese who could help her to find it. Prior to that, she used to
travel from her village to the city every day.
Meanwhile she took
admission for BSc. from Shobish University, Meerut. It is a distant education
programme and she is now a third year student. Nowadays she prepares for Pre-
Medical Test from home and she hopes to be able to get through it in the
forthcoming session in 2014.
After reaching home from
Gorakhpur she became a member of DPO (Disabled People’s Organisation) which was
initiated by CBR Parivartan- the change team. Now she is the Shiksha mantri (Education Minister) of DPO. She wishes to achieve her goal and work for a better world.
Lessons Learned
It is the timely
intervention of an organisation and the corrective surgery that was held at
free of cost that transformed the life of Kanchan Yadav. It was inspiration,
emotional and technical support from the organisation that assisted the girl to
look beyond her limitations and challenges. It is obvious that the exposure
that she got in her childhood helped her to accept her reality and see life in
a broader perspective. It unleashed the unimaginable strength and inherent
capacity to move forward in life.
Challenges in her life
Due to several
limitations including traveling to a strange place, Kanchan’s parents could
not be present when she underwent surgery in Delhi hospital. They were cut off
from her when she was at hostel for twelve years even though they could hear
from her occasionally over the telephone at a distant place from their
dwelling.
Furthermore, she had to
face sarcastic comments from people around her when she disclosed her
aspiration to become a doctor but she could withstand such adverse
circumstances with the strength that she could imbibe from the inspiring words
of Sisters in Ghaziabad hostel.
In spite of having
gained outstanding courage and determination in life, Kanchan still staggers in
uncertainty about her health as it could become worse as she grows old. It is a
strong indication that People with Disability need assistance and support of
people around more than any other people to sustain their ability to face
challenges and overcome the new hurdles that may visit up on them at any time
of life.
My Apprehensions
It might not happen in
every one’s life to be fortunate enough to get the whole hearted support of
family and external agencies. It necessitates the existence of a system that
ensures the comprehensive growth and development of the Persons with
Disabilities who otherwise would become part of other vulnerable
sections of our society. There should be a reliable and authentic system to
facilitate them to overcome the challenges of the Persons with Disabilities which should function universally. It can be associated with Panchyath
Raj Institutions. (PRI). It is very obvious that no Government institutions
made any intervention to the empowerment of the girl who was victimized by the
deadly virus.
It would be unrealistic
to expect every parent to be supportive successfully while struggling to cope
up with multiple other issues along with the harsh reality of having Children
with Disabilities. Here arises the necessity of an external agency that
could support, inspire and help them to have a comprehensive development. It
should include providing all necessary medical care in all stages of life,
personality development, exposure, career guidance and employment opportunity.
Finally all steps for an inclusive society that accepts the Persons with
Disability as normal human beings.
