Wherever I go, HE goes

Well, yes. I have a brother with special needs. His name is Neel.

First of all, it is NOT easy, no matter what people say. And sending your child with special needs to a mental asylum or some place where you're not in contact with him/her is never the solution. First you’ll think, “Oh god, why me?” Yes, you were one of the special people who were chosen to have a brother with special needs, but think of it as a learning opportunity.

Regardless of the meltdown he had in the mall just because he wanted to go to the bathroom, regardless of him breaking some ornament at a friend’s house, or regardless of any other situation, he is MY brother. Wherever I go, HE goes. If you’re not okay with it, deal with it.

Seriously though, people should get used to the fact that not all people are normal. If you see a person having special needs or any other problem, DO not stare, DO not look. And help out if you can. If you can’t bear with them, then just leave.

I’ll be honest. I used to be ashamed of my brother. Maybe I still am. But that does not mean he is not a part of my soul. And I’m still scared to take him out, am afraid that he will have a meltdown of some sort. But I have to get used to it. And you people should, too. Not all people have the virtue of language. You should feel lucky that you do. And I really love and respect my family, because we NEVER give up. My brother went into a coma and we had lost all hope. He woke up after 11 days, completely paralysed. He could not even move his own neck. He had to have so many injections in a day. I can’t even handle one injection. They had to keep me in a separate room because whenever he got an injection, I used to scream and cry.

I remember my mom and dad left me with my grandparents in Ranchi for Neel’s operation. One night, I woke up and I started screaming and shouting, and waking everyone up. I’m still not sure why I woke up like that, or am I?

That is the kind of bond I share with my brother. He can walk now, and he’s learning to type, write and play basketball. Imagine someone from not even being able to get up, to walking, typing, writing and playing basketball.

If you know someone like that, please tell me about him/her. Because this is exactly why my brother is my hero.

(Vivek Bhattacharjya is a sports fiend and has also co-written a novel about the heroic exploits of a junior cricket team. The main character, not surprisingly, is named Neel)

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