The Abled Disability

Life is like a thriller roller coaster. At times we are at the lowest state of gloom, and at the other moments we are lifted towards the greatest heights of ecstasy, but what rolls in the journey are the wheels of hope to win, and courage until the fin!

I lived my golden days of life in the heart of  Black Gold city, precisely a small pin on India’s map, yet very energetic as its name Urjanagar. I was closely knit by the best of family friends, indeed an extended family. During the hot summer days when parents were busy with their routine, we children lived our vacations to the fullest. To sum up in words of Bryan Adams, those were the best days of my life and it was only because of the people I was surrounded with. My childhood was incomplete without my besties, to be more impactful, without our paltan. Among them was a very humorous and amiable, bespectacled friend Shrikant Raut aka our Chiku. 

In 2009, he graduated as a Computer Engineer and aspired to pursue MBA. Burning the midnight oil and preparing tirelessly in academics he successfully secured admission to one of India’s top institutes and thereafter bagged a job that he was elated to have! Shrikant started working as a Business Development Executive. He now earned his living and supported his family. Likewise, he had also built his small world around his roommates and office colleagues with whom he was cherishing his bachelorhood.

It was all very normal. A life how one would dream of. Just when… one night, one trip, and one path made all the difference.

Who doesn’t like to take a break from work and enjoy weekend drives in the pouring monsoon? In June 2013, Shrikant and his colleagues had planned an outing near Kolhapur to rejoice the picturesque climate. On 15 June 2013, on their journey from Pune to Kolhapur, in the midst of a dense forest of Amba Ghat, it was raining cats and dogs which made it tedious for Shrikant to drive and pass through. 

At the very same moment, all of them faced the evilest nightmare one can ever have. 

Their SUV rolled off the culvert and fell on the banks of the river with a dreadful thud. The seat belt kept him on the driving seat and saved him by not throwing him out of the vehicle but the impact of the tumble damaged his spine to the hilt. 

Prior to the accident, Shrikant kept his family informed of his whereabouts on the journey. But due to the forest region and their phones being damaged, there was no communication for long hours.

His family was eager to hear from him, but all they could know about him was a call from the hospital. 

The entire Raut family was in shock and couldn’t bear the guts to face it. It was his youngest uncle, Dr. Sudesh Kaka who took the hold of the situation and managed to reach Kolhapur along with his mother, cousin, and another uncle.

They could see Shrikant lying on the bed and was unable to move an inch. There was breakage of the T5-6 vertebral column and the crushed bone fragments had damaged the spinal nerves. To utter dismay, the doctors had informed them about zero possibility of him getting out of bed and said he would have to live his entire life in bed. On questioning Shrikant about the incident when he had gained his consciousness, he was dumbfounded. All he could remember was the drive just before the accident. 

On the advice of a renowned Neurosurgeon from the US, also a close associate of Dr. Kaka, they planned to shift Shrikant to Pune to consult a specialist. Doctors at Kolhapur had warned them about the menace while shifting, but Dr. Kaka couldn’t leave his nephew in such a state, and at his own risk moved him to Pune. He underwent massive surgery just a week after the accident. 

Regardless of inserting metal implants to hold the spine, the cells had completely lost their power of regeneration, resulting in permanent loss of sensation in the lower body. 

Pinch it, scratch it, tickle it, every stimulus goes in vain! Even a blade cut couldn’t cause any effect to his lower limbs.

After a month he returned to his home at Karanja-Lad. Each moment passed on with tremendous surgical pain and fracture. He couldn’t even acknowledge his hunger and had fecal incontinence. For about 50 days he was on a routine of sponge bathing. Thereafter medications and physiotherapy sessions were the only daily chores. Every night was spent foreseeing the upcoming mysterious day. This pattern of lifestyle was followed for a long time with the hope that misery comes to an end. He tried his level best to subside the storm inside him, but every time he landed questioning himself about his own existence. 

Meanwhile, each of the family members stood tall against all odds and left no stone unturned to figure out every possible treatment for this 26-year old warrior.

Soon after, they resolved to seek admission to ISIC – Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Delhi, one of the finest rehabilitation centers, where Shrikant underwent training for day-to-day skills and activities, followed by psychology sessions for about 3 months. Every day he witnessed a new patient with even severe injuries. It was then his mindset evolved and started to count his blessings. Nilesh Chopda, who had gone through the same phase, turned to be a godly figure for Shrikant. He uplifted him socially and encouraged him to deal with his daily chores. The times when a bunch of people carried him on a stretcher was now changed to operating a wheelchair on his own. 

The new buddy of this phase was a wheelchair, mounting onto which for a long duration was a huge task! He amassed his efforts to shift himself from a vehicle’s seat onto a wheelchair, in addition to making it a point to bathe without any help. 

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With his positive approach and courage, he managed to sit for long hours, and could now work. Favorably, his employer had granted him a permanent work from home benefit. He even got selected for a government job through the IBPS exam but faced the hurdle of joining due to lack of accessibility in the office. Without any sympathy, he acquired multiple job offers at once on his own. Currently, he is working for a reputed organization at a designated post and excelling in his profession. The Director of the Company is a fatherly figure who stood next to Shrikant and his family during hours of need.

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Over the years Shrikant has accepted that he has a complete spinal cord injury, and every day defines life in a broader perception. 

After all, Self-acceptance is a gift one could ever give themselves! 

He manages all his daily routine of domestic as well as professional work without seeking the assistance of anyone. Since childhood, he was passionate about traveling, so how could this incident be a barrier! He has visited many places with his family and friends by traveling not just in airplanes but also in trains, sleeper coach buses, cars, auto-rickshaws, and even bullock carts. Exploring new places in India along with overseas to the fullest, and meeting new people makes a top entry in his bucket list. 

In the initial phase, Shrikant was hesitant to attend any social gatherings as people stared at him, but with the passage of time and his changed vision, he met people with no less than celebrity vibes! 

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It was impossible to have come this far without the unbound support of his parents and younger sister, Dr. Shreya. How difficult it would have been to see their young son in such a condition. They always mask their pain with smiles while facing Shrikant. Words fall short to describe the untold sacrifices made by them to see Shrikant soaring high in his life. 

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In the times when society looks down on maintaining relations, Shrikant’s extended family never steps back to be by his side under any circumstances. Any family get-together at his place is always a celebration!  All credits go to his grandparents who have sown seeds of togetherness amongst the siblings. The Raut family is continuing the legacy. Regardless of the age differences, Shrikant’s cousins have always held him tight by their side. Reciprocating their gestures, Shrikant never shed a tear for the hardships and depression he faced. Bless these deeply-rooted loving bonds!

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Never forgetting the strong pillars – friends who held him back from lowering his morale at every step. They ensured backing up his career by registering an IT firm named happynsss.com originating from each of their initials.

Another oar that helped Shrikant sail smoothly in a wavy sea of life is Mr. Rajesh Gawande, his batchmate during post-graduation. He constantly kept negative thoughts many nautical miles away from Shrikant’s turbulent mind. 

It’s been 8 years now and giving up isn’t Shrikant’s way. The temporary path of the accident has left behind permanent traces in his ordinary life, yet he is living with an extraordinary prospect! On questioning Shrikant about his tough outlook, he mentioned that the wheelchair has swiveled the understanding of life.

Problems toh hai sab ke sath, sirf nazariye ki hai baat.

His perception towards every speck has given a new horizon to his life and has molded him into his own best version.  Today he wants to ask each of us that whenever we come across someone in a wheelchair, why do we look at the wheelchair first and not the person. We should indeed enable our minds to empathize with physical disability rather than sympathize with it. 

On learning about Shrikant’s challenging journey his words have marked true impressions! We always crib about petty issues, but imagine waking up one day with a physical disability! Mark my words, none of us will be able to handle ourselves courageously the way Shrikant has done! He has inspired us that by holding strong our mental attitude, we are ought to shatter down the physical afflictions. 

He has proved himself fully cap-able in spite of his physical disability. After all, not all heroes wear caps! 

Although we live in a scientific era where theories surpass magic, I pray to almighty for a miracle to happen with my childhood friend and bless him abundantly!!