Thank you for sharing! Lissy Verghese On 10/1/14, Dr.B.S.M.Kumar <drbsmku...@gmail.com> wrote: > Malvika Iyer's amazing story of grit! > > Malvika Iyer is the essence of courage and optimism. > At 13, a freak accident caused her to lose both her hands and severely > damaged her legs, raising serious doubts about whether she would ever > walk again. > But young Malvika braved the odds and emerged victorious. Today she is > a dedicated social worker, a motivational speaker and model for > accessible clothing in India. > Malvika is also a Global Shaper from the Chennai Hub, which is a part > of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic > Forum. > She gives a first person account of her ordeal and how she overcame it > to S Saraswathi. > Malvika Iyer > I was born in Kumbakonam. My father was transferred to Rajasthan when > I was still very young. I spent nearly 13 years of my early life in > Bikaner, Rajasthan. > I had a very healthy and a happy childhood. I was a tomboy; I enjoyed > outdoor sports and learnt swimming and skating. I also learnt Kathak > for about seven years. > It was a fun-filled life till the day I met with the accident: May 26, > 2002. I was 13 years old. > The accident > Some months before the accident, an ammunition depot had caught fire > in the city and hand shells, grenades and other bits and pieces were > scattered all over the city. One such piece landed in our > neighbourhood. > We were told that it was a diffused shell. I was trying to stick > something on my jeans pocket, and I wanted something heavy to hammer > it with. I just took this shell and hit it. > With the first hit, the shell exploded in my hand. > There was almost nothing left of my hands. Both my legs had severe > injuries, nerve damage and multiple fractures. > It took nearly two years and several surgeries for me to walk again. > Bedridden for two years > For the first three days after the explosion, I was totally conscious, > aware of each and every thing happening around me, but my body was > numb. > Within moments of the explosion I heard my mom screaming, "Meri bachhi > ke haath chale gaye!" > I was taken to the hospital immediately. There was so much damage to > my limbs that my body went into a state of shock. I could not feel > anything as the four main nerves were instantly cut. There was 80 per > cent blood loss. > When I reached the hospital there was zero BP, the doctors were not > sure if I would survive. > Even in that state I remember apologising to my mom, telling her that > I am sorry I put her through this. Then I said I wanted to meet this > friend of mine. It was so strange. I gave the contact number of my > friend and told my parents to call her. I was terrified; would this > really be the last time I was going to see these people? > The doctors were not sure that they would be able to save my leg, > especially the left one. It was dangling, just hanging from a small > bit of skin. They wanted to amputate it, but my parents did not want > to risk any more damage. They took me in an ambulance to Jaipur. > The splinters were stuck all over my legs and had penetrated deep > within. The pain began to sink in and it was terrible. I can remember > those days and nights filled with pain. > But the doctors were good and managed to save my leg. Though > completely disfigured, with no sensation in my left leg and a foot > drop (difficulty in lifting the front part of the foot) in the right, > I am lucky I still have them. > My hands, though, were completely cut off. There was no need to > amputate them because they had been blown off; they couldn't even find > any trace of them at the accident site. > Later a skin grafting operation was done and with that I am left with > just two stumps. Fortunately, the stumps, especially the right one, > were quite long, so I was able to lift them like how a squirrel does. > I was treated at a Bone and Joint clinic in Anna Nagar in Chennai. > After months of intense therapy, I was finally able to walk. > My accident happened in May 2002. I took my first few painful steps in > November 2003. > I still had a long way to go. > Getting on with life > We started enquiring about artificial hands. There was not much > awareness about this, so my mom and I used to Google. We found a > German prosthetics company called Ottobock that had a branch in > Chennai. > That is how I got a pair of bio-electric hands. > I started practising to write; initially my handwriting was very big, > and then slowly, with practise, I improved. > This was in December 2003. In four months my friends would be > appearing for their 10th board exams. I felt totally left out. > I was in touch with a very close friend in Bikaner. She used to tell > me how they were preparing. I decided that I would give it a shot. My > mom found this coaching centre right behind our street. > I had just three months to prepare. All my childhood, I have been into > sports and dancing and skating, and now I could do nothing but sit and > walk a bit. As I had no other choice, I think all my concentration > went into academics. > I prepared and prepared and when the results came, my life was > completely changed. > I got a State rank among the private candidates, and I was one among > the State toppers, as well. I scored centum in both Math and Science > and 97 in Hindi, also a State first. > I felt like a celebrity. The next day, all the leading newspapers > covered me. They wrote about how I overcame my disability to achieve > this distinction. It was all very encouraging. > I was invited to Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (then > President of India). > Malvika Iyer with former Indian President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam > I got to meet a lot of other celebrities. I was given an award for > outstanding model student by Wisdom magazine. > After 12th, I joined St Stephen's College, Delhi, where I graduated in > Economics (Honours). > I then did my Master's in Social Work from the Delhi School of Social Work. > During my field training, I had the opportunity to work with > differently-abled children. I realised that this is something I have > to be a part of. I could empathise with them and understand them > better. Since I was always given a lot of encouragement, I wanted to > give something back. > A new beginning > Last year, I was invited for a TEDx Talk and that talk completely > changed the course of my life. > Until then I was just doing my work and trying to be a part of > society. But that wasn't helping me much and I would still feel bad > that everybody else is normal and I am not. > But when I started talking about myself, I realised that I was > actually much better off than a lot of people, who would complain even > without any problem in their life. > I was seen as a motivational speaker. Now I get invited to talk at > colleges and schools or to corporates in Chennai and other cities. > Last year, I was invited to host the India Inclusion Summit in > Bangalore. I was the emcee and had the opportunity to meet a lot of > differently-abled people. There were people who had actually achieved > something or who were in the process of recovering and coming out of > it. It was a great honour to be able to host such a programme. > This helped me realise that I have to accept my disability. It is not > like I am ever going to get my hands back. > The people around me made this possible -- my friends, my family, and > my mom especially. She was my support throughout. She was like my > shadow. She made sure that nobody hurt me in any way. It is her > positive spirit that has made me who I am today. > She has given me a lot of freedom; she never treated me differently at > all. There was never any show of pity. > Presently, I am Junior Research Fellow doing my PhD in Social Work at > the Madras School of Social Work. I am studying the experience of > inclusion; how differently-abled people feel in society and what is > society's attitude towards them. > Initially, I used to feel bad when people stared at me. It made me > very uncomfortable, but now it does not matter. I know who I am. I > have become more strong-hearted, what they feel or how they see me > does not affect me any more. > Apart from this, I have been passionately working on everything > outside. Recently I did a ramp walk at NIFT (National Institute of > Fashion Technology), Chennai. > I am a model for accessible clothing; it is an initiative of Ability > Foundation and NIFT. > Malvika Iyer on the ramp at NIFT > The students designed two gowns for me, taking into considering my > prosthetic hand. I was the showstopper for that evening and it was an > amazing experience. Ever since then I have been writing about > accessible clothing. > When I was in the hospital bed 12 years ago, I thought that I could > never come out of this. Now I can see that there is so much more to > do. I think life is really, really good. > I was invited to host a Run in Bangalore recently. > I went all by myself. I handled everything, from the airport, all the > travelling, the stay in the hotel, etc. Today I can do 90 per cent of > my work on my own, without any assistance. > When I think about how my life has turned out to be, I think it is > fine, whatever happened. > I would not have wanted to live a mediocre life. I have always been > scared of mediocrity and I am not sure how my life would have turned > out if it were not for this accident. > I feel I am blessed because I know that something very horrible > happened and even now it is not like I am 100 per cent all right. I > can't just run around and do everything on my own. My legs still hurt > when I walk. > But a lot of good has come my way. > I am confident I can do something meaningful with this life. I don't > have any regrets. > Dancing was my first love. I used to be sad that I could not dance > like before. But now I have started dancing again. I cannot dance as > gracefully as before, but I still dance. > At the Bangalore Run, I danced on the stage. I think life is all about > making the best with what you have. > I got engaged in February this year to a wonderful man, a design > engineer, and there is a lot to look forward to in life rather than > just sitting around thinking of what could have been. > > Regards, > > -- > *Dr.B.S.M.Kumar* > *Prof.[Former] Dept of Chemical Engineering* > *SRM UNIV * > *Hand set +91 9840139849* > ** > > > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. >
Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
