8 year old boy gets a new leg, mother cries with joy

Pune 8 January 2021 : Sadhu Vaswani Mission’s healthcare institution — Inlaks & Budhrani Hospital held a free artificial limbs distribution camp. Patients included those from Kolhapur and Pune City.

Artificial Limbs Programme is held throughout the year. However, owing to the pandemic times, travel restrictions and the hospital being a COVID-19 designated hospital, the distributions could not be held last year. Nevertheless, with the restrictions easing and situation improving, Inlaks & Budhrani began the year 2021 with the resuming of the artificial limbs distribution.

“It felt like old times! The patients coming in with hope and walking back with a limb, experiencing independence in movement; the sheer joy of it, we missed it all. But this camp has rejuvenated us and we are looking forward to more such distributions throughout this year,” said an Inlaks official.

43 patients; 30 from Kolhapur and 13 from Pune received foot limbs — below the knee and above the knee and arm limbs— below the elbow and above the elbow as per their infirmities. The beneficiaries also received hygiene kits, towel and napkin. Women additionally received ladies gowns and men were given T-shirts.

Sharing the recipients’ experiences, the official said, “A senior lady was given arm limbs and at first when we gave her the hygiene kits and gown, she was hesitant to use her new arm. But we managed to convince her and she was thrilled. We gave her one with a movable thumb and an arm that can carry up to 5kgs of weight.” Continuing he said, “There was another, whose both legs were amputated and when he got his limbs, he was wobbly. But in no time, with his will to walk again, he managed to adapt quickly to the limbs. It’s a sight to experience!”

Among the beneficiaries was also an 8-year-old kid who had lost his right leg in a freak accident as a child. His mother dearly looked upon him as he walked around, practising. A day later, sharing her experience, she said, “It’s overwhelming. I am unable to contain my tears. When my kid would see footwears, he would be eager to try them on and look at them longingly, and it would be unbearable and utterly painful. But today, he hasn’t come home to have his food! So engrossed is he playing about with his friends. My child, who would need the support of crutches, is walking and playing about, words cannot spell out my emotions!.

The patients were brought from Kolhapur to Pune in a bus arranged by a local organizer. Artificial limbs measurement camp was held earlier on 6th December 2020. On the day of distribution, the patients were served chole pav and tea upon arrival and biryani with pickle and drinking water was packed and given for the journey. The entire distribution was executed within 3 hours.