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Moving on, with grit
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It is sheer determination that keeps 29-year-old Prabha, suffering from a rare, congenital bone disease, going
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PERSEVERENCE PAYS Prabha giving final touches to a glass painting PHOTO S. THANTHONI
Osteogenesis Imperfecta. When the doctor said these words, Krishnamurthy was clueless. Only when orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Sriram explained, did the bitter truth sink in. His baby girl Prabha would have to be handled with something softer than kid gloves. The slightest strain on her bones would cause them to crack.
As the girl grew up, the accuracy of the prognosis was proved. Bone fractures were common. School was out of bounds for Prabha. How could she go to school, when even a gentle tap could lead to hospitalisation? Would her little classmates understand her precarious condition?
Notwithstanding his meagre income, the father arranged for private tuitions. He would, however, carry her to the examination hall. Although she passed the 10th Standard exam, financial constraints did not allow her to study further.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sriram was trying his best to rectify Prabha's multiple deformities, which included two twisted stubs for hands and another two for legs. Repeated operations on the leg enabled Prabha to stand up with support. This lasted only for a while. Sadly, it was back to square one as one day her legs failed to cooperate with her. The hands were not so uncooperative. While she could use her right hand, a corrective device called Ilizarov Ring Fixator was attached to her left hand to straighten it and to increase its bone density. Now, she has minimal use of the left hand. But her right hand has more power and she uses it to sketch and paint. She has won painting competitions organised by Agape Rehabilitation Centre, Sembium. Every year, Nandini Voice For The Deprived holds an exhibition of works created by the disabled, during which Prabha's art works — Tanjore art, glass and reverse glass displays — find buyers.
Prabha has turned her right hand to acquiring another skill — DTP. She has learnt MS-Word, CorelDraw and PhotoShop as well. "I would carry her to the computer centre." Although she could teach these packages to students, Prabha wants to first widen her software knowledge. "I want to acquire other software skills." Nandini Voice For The Deprived has gifted her a computer. But she needs someone who can teach her at home. She acquired sketching and painting skills because S. Senthil, a student at the Government College Of Arts, and Padma, an artist, took time off to tutor 29-year-old Prabha. She hopes someone will help her with the computer, the same way. Is anyone listening?
PRINCE FREDERICK
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