An inspiring story published in today's Indian Express.

15-yr-old with no hands scores


Chennai, May 28: A 15-year-old girl, with both hands blown off in a bomb blast at home near the Rajasthan-Pakistan border two years ago, has triumphed with high marks in the Tamil Nadu school final examinations, the results of which were announced here on Thursday.

When she was in Class IX in a Rajasthan town close to the Pakistan border, where her father B Krishnan was working as executive engineer for the Rajasthan Water Supply Board, Malavika Iyer found an unexploded grenade in the playground and took it home assuming it was a spent shell and was harmless.

But when she played with it the grenade exploded, severing both her hands from wrists downward. Her legs too were badly damaged and she had to undergo surgical treatment for several months both in Rajasthan and in Chennai, according to her mother Hema.

Undeterred by the tragedy, the young girl fought back to nurse her legs to their original strength and resumed her studies at a private tuition centre in Chennai preparing students for the Class X exams conducted by the Tamil Nadu State Board for school education. She had artificial hands fitted for her and tried to live as normally as possible. She says she can draw well and is even learning to drive a car and would get a driving licence when she turns 18.

However, she required help at the examination hall as another person wrote down the answers dictated by her since she needed to complete the question paper in the stipulated three hours, which her artificial hands would not be able to achieve. When the results were announced, Malavika was pleasantly surprised as she scored 483 marks out of a total 500, with cent per cent in maths and science. “I am confident of achieving what I want. And I want to become an IAS officer,” says the smart girl, swaying her mutilated hands nonchalantly.

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Makes me think...why didn't I get my hands blown off when I was 15?! Jokes apart, yes I know of several cases where people have fought back with their handicap and well. I knew a gentleman in India who worked for the same company as I, and he had no hands. Lost then to an electrocution accident as a kid. But this fellow could do EVERYTHING that we could with hands. No artificial hands either. He used to do everthing withn his legs and feet. From drinking tea, writing, driving..just about everything he could do with his feet and toes. Amazing to say the least! I am sure there is some fundamental difference in people, genes whatever!

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wisernow

Quite heartening....

In India I used to buy greeting cards from an organisation called as Foot and Mouth Artists. I dont know if you have heard of them. This organisation comprised of Ex-Army officers who had lost their hands during war or during counter -insurgency measures. To survive, they had to use their mouth and feet to make posters or paintings to make a living. The paintings were so beautiful, my customers and friends whom I used to send them - never realised until I told them about this.

Mother nature is beautiful. When it comes to survival and if you have the determination.. no one can stop you.

I do not know how many more Malavikas are there amongst us.

May she realise her dreams.

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What goes around comes around...
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A CANADIAN INDIAN