Reunions and informal alumni meets can sometimes really change lives. With contacts chain reaction, we surprised many seniors on phone and talked about their lives. Through some conversations I learnt about poignant agony of Malati Shah, 4 years senior to me. It took me some time to digest that. Several months of networking helped us to get her contact……..
Here is the heart-wrenching story of Malati Shah:
Malti Shah, very normal and healthy lady, was working as teacher in Calcutta to support her poor family. One morning in 2003, after three months of marriage, she found her body locked. She couldn’t get up from the bed, she even couldn’t turn sideways and she could not raise herself up. She started screaming in pain, she could not comprehend it. With tears and unbearable pain, she kept on trying to get up but in vain. Her husband and father-in-law tried their best to calm her down and make her sit but failed. She recalls that it was the most horrific event in her life; her legs, spine and hips were immovable the moment she woke up and she is completely helpless about her own body. Then she was taken to a local hospital and was diagnosed with Acute Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Here is the heart-wrenching story of Malati Shah:
Malti Shah, very normal and healthy lady, was working as teacher in Calcutta to support her poor family. One morning in 2003, after three months of marriage, she found her body locked. She couldn’t get up from the bed, she even couldn’t turn sideways and she could not raise herself up. She started screaming in pain, she could not comprehend it. With tears and unbearable pain, she kept on trying to get up but in vain. Her husband and father-in-law tried their best to calm her down and make her sit but failed. She recalls that it was the most horrific event in her life; her legs, spine and hips were immovable the moment she woke up and she is completely helpless about her own body. Then she was taken to a local hospital and was diagnosed with Acute Ankylosing Spondylitis.
I guess, she might have ignored several indications or symptoms for quite some time before it stiffened her entire spine and lower body and got so painfully acute!! This was followed by disastrous blow. None other than her apathetic husband intensified her helplessness: that idiot (in-laws decision) just left her and called off the marriage because of her condition. Her parents, indigent and old, were shocked by the unacceptable episode and sank in despair. Her brothers reacted in a coldly strange way, warning her parents not to allow her home.
Just imagine the plight of a person buffeted so eerily from the very dear ones when she was all a stiffened body dejected by husband and life. She has been battling against worsening Ankylosing Spondylitis without any treatment for she is so poor that she has to choose between medicine and everyday living. She has no choice but to forget about treatment. It made her almost bed-ridden. It has made her TOTALLY dependable on old mom and older father, surviving through abject poverty.
Six years of excruciating life, still does not know whether there is an end to this dark tunnel. She still does not know when her illiterate and ignorant brothers would talk to her.. … Her body is slowly reaching a final rigid state i.e. when her ribs are calcified and they stop expansion and contraction, choking her to slow death. She cannot bear any more…! Even if it is delayed, her future will be dangerously dark if she loses her parents, as they are too old. She would be left with no one to look after her.
When I herad this, I was numb for a day!!!!
I decided to help her to better life and make her independent. I talked about my plans with my friends. I consulted doctors and inquired about treatments, hospitals and expenses. After lot of analysis, discussions and consultations, we have decided to get her from Calcutta to Bangalore. Dr C B Prabhu, an eminent orthopaedic surgeon, has agreed to treat her. On 5th of May, that is tomorrow, he and his team perform surgery (Total Hip Replacement) in HOSMAT. It requires approx. 6.1 lakhs INR as of now!!
My biggest concern is money. I do not have so much money and I cannot help her with the entire amount on my own. I have started contacting my friends, acquaintances and colleagues. And have also asked them to spread the word for help. My office also promised me to help to great extent. I thought to collect it from anyone who wishes to help her and save her life. I want to pool in as much money as possible for suffering Malati.
I request you, dear reader, to donate money to save her life. Please do help me. And do spread this news among your friends. To donate money, please contact me either on +91 9916103250 or zevinster@gmail.com
Just imagine the plight of a person buffeted so eerily from the very dear ones when she was all a stiffened body dejected by husband and life. She has been battling against worsening Ankylosing Spondylitis without any treatment for she is so poor that she has to choose between medicine and everyday living. She has no choice but to forget about treatment. It made her almost bed-ridden. It has made her TOTALLY dependable on old mom and older father, surviving through abject poverty.
Six years of excruciating life, still does not know whether there is an end to this dark tunnel. She still does not know when her illiterate and ignorant brothers would talk to her.. … Her body is slowly reaching a final rigid state i.e. when her ribs are calcified and they stop expansion and contraction, choking her to slow death. She cannot bear any more…! Even if it is delayed, her future will be dangerously dark if she loses her parents, as they are too old. She would be left with no one to look after her.
When I herad this, I was numb for a day!!!!
I decided to help her to better life and make her independent. I talked about my plans with my friends. I consulted doctors and inquired about treatments, hospitals and expenses. After lot of analysis, discussions and consultations, we have decided to get her from Calcutta to Bangalore. Dr C B Prabhu, an eminent orthopaedic surgeon, has agreed to treat her. On 5th of May, that is tomorrow, he and his team perform surgery (Total Hip Replacement) in HOSMAT. It requires approx. 6.1 lakhs INR as of now!!
My biggest concern is money. I do not have so much money and I cannot help her with the entire amount on my own. I have started contacting my friends, acquaintances and colleagues. And have also asked them to spread the word for help. My office also promised me to help to great extent. I thought to collect it from anyone who wishes to help her and save her life. I want to pool in as much money as possible for suffering Malati.
I request you, dear reader, to donate money to save her life. Please do help me. And do spread this news among your friends. To donate money, please contact me either on +91 9916103250 or zevinster@gmail.com
