The Hindu Business Line : Enabled all the way

Baby Sanjana’s wail is music to her mother Chitra’s ears. Cuddling the baby and cooing endearments to her, Chitra is a picture of joy. Struck with polio, which affected both her lower limbs when she was barely three years of age, she had hardly visualised a married life with a child. But thanks to her grit and a diehard positive attitude, Chitra endured a difficult pregnancy for 34 weeks and delivered the baby through Caesarian section. No less significant was the date of birth: October 2, Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.

With shortened lower limbs, Chitra cannot walk; she has to drag herself using her lower body and heave herself up on to a chair or bed. One of her legs is angled to form a triangle with her body which made the Caesarian procedure a challenge for the doctors.

Chitra’s obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Vasundra Thiagarajan, is full of admiration for her patient. “Medically speaking, she is affected with bilateral polio, which is a very rare condition.”

The doctor had told Chitra that because of the shape and size of her pelvis, the foetus would develop in the abdomen rather than the pelvis, as is normal, and could endanger her life. But Chitra was keen to have the baby and the doctor agreed to help her continue the pregnancy until it was safe to do so. Around 32 weeks, Chitra developed breathlessness, with the foetus pressing against her diaphragm.

When the episodes of breathlessness increased, the Caesarian section was performed and the premature but healthy baby delivered. Says Dr Vasundra, “The Caesarian was a little difficult to do because of her angled leg over which we had to manoeuvre our hands to perform the surgery. But our task paled in comparison to the courage and determination Chitra showed during the entire period of her pregnancy.”

Chitra credits her cheerful disposition and determination to the “good-natured, positive people” around her “who never looked upon me differently, with pity or ridicule. My parents, siblings, friends, teachers, colleagues at work and my husband, above all, have helped me the way one good human being helps another. They have all believed in my ability to do things on my own.”

Says mother Shantha, “Her formative years in school were not without problems because she could not get on or off an auto on her own and I would accompany her to school every day. She also needed help in doing her homework because her upper limbs were not very strong to hold the pencil. By the time she reached Std VI, she was pretty independent and would in fact help me also with household work.”

After completing her schooling, Chitra enrolled herself for B.Com through correspondence. Around the same time she found a job as receptionist in a stock-broking company. It was here that she met her future husband Kuthalingam, who was impressed and inspired by her strength of character and courage. “When the admiration changed to love I do not know but by then I had become a member of their family. After almost seven years of knowing her, I decided to tie the knot. Initially I was a little apprehensive since I did not want her people to think I was taking undue advantage of her, as we belong to different castes. Fortunately there was absolutely no problem from either side and we were married,” says Kuthalingam.

Chitra underwent computer training and took up a job with an America-based medical transcription company. Here she met an American couple who, touched by her fighting spirit, presented her a wheelchair tailor-made for her requirements. Today, living in a suburb Chitra finds it difficult to commute to work. But that has not stopped this brave woman. She continues with her medical transcription work from home!

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