Case study 1

Vidya Stands for the First Time in Seven Years

Vidya, a seven year old girl is the only child to her parents, hails from Gulbarga district, Karnataka. She was born normal and healthy and remained the same until she turns two.

She had infection in her left leg, diagnosed as Femur Osteomyelitis (a kind of fungal infection of bone, causes may range from blood stream transfer to injury). Since the infection persisted she underwent a surgery during which her left femur was excised leading to uneven length. She had difficulty to stand and walking was just impossible for her.

She received Left Extension Ortho-Prosthesis (prosthesis attached to her hip to distribute weight of her body more on hip while standing and walking) from MI. During the initial stage of GAIT training, she was encouraged to walk holding the rails for balancing. Once she is comfortable with balancing, she will be trained to walk on different surfaces. Her father is also educated regarding the usage of the aid and exercises, so she can continue practice at home.

Her father mentioned “we are happy with the support provided by MI. I really appreciate the effort they put into my daughter. Now I can hope that one my Vidya will be independent and will attain better education”.

Razia Sultana Discovers Herself

Born to an over protective family in Garden Reach, Kolkata, Razia Sultana was hidden from any form of social interaction. She was confined to her home and was not even allowed to meet people who visited her home. When she was identified by MIRRC staff, she was doing nothing but watching television. She had difficulty in walking and was unable to perform any of the age appropriate activities. She was provided with right hand splint, bilateral arch support as well as therapeutic intervention.

As she was deprived from social interaction from birth, MI staff made it a priority to give her an inclusive environment. To achieve this she was enrolled in art and tuition classes. Now she is able to read and write Urdu, write her personal details and perform simple maths like addition, subtraction. She particularly enjoys the arts and crafts classes.

She shares a close bond with MI staff and shares the happy and sad moments of her life. While she takes pride in now being a responsible member in the family, another feather to her cap is the casting of her vote during the corporate election.

Ruqaiah Nasser’s Empowerment

Ms. Ruqaiah Nasser recollects her memories on how she reached MI and underwent training in Prosthetics & Orthotics (P &O).

“Before coming to MI I was working as a staff nurse at Algemene Hospital in Mukalla city, Yemen. There I saw lot of people with disabilities coming for treatment and developed an enthusiasm to do something for them. During that time Dr. Ahmed, Centre Manager informed about the P & O course at MI and suggested that I take it up. I had no idea what the course was. I had a chance to work with Mr. Hani Bansoode, In-Charge of P & O who also was trained at MI. I developed the keen interest, and decided to take up the course.

At home, it took a lot of convincing, for my parents to allow me to come here. I explained to my mother, how a course like this would help women in our country, where it is difficult for men to attend women patients due to cultural norms. It is after much persuasion that my mother finally agreed” shared Ruqaiah.