Ashla proves: Disability is only a state of mind ~ ഇടം

"Ashla Krishnan’s journey had almost ended on a railway track a few years ago, when she fell from a hurtling train. Or,she might have been forever imprisoned in a wheelchair. Instead, she marched forward, without legs, and changed her life, with the help of palliative care. There is nothing extraordinary or uncommon about a smiling face. But there certainly is something exceptional about a person who can maintain a cheerful demeanour in the face of adversity, confronted with what appears to others as a bleak future."

This is the story of a person who has successfully turned around a seemingly impossible circumstance and used it to her advantage, with an unfading smile on her face,and who has been inspiring several others confined within the four walls of their rooms, bound by chains of sympathy. The twist in her story happened on the railway tracks.

More often than not, life plods on like parallel railway lines, never overlapping. And amidst those who struggle daily to make ends meet, we occasionally come across many who, even with their limitations, have made their lives success stories that inspire us.

Here is such a person who is different and unique, who is offering you a helping hand. Ashla Krishnansmiles at you fromherwheelchair. Her life had almost ended on a railway track, a few years ago, when she fell from a hurtling train during a journey from Chennai to her hometown of Kannur – a journey that claimedher legs.

Ashla was standing near the door of the train, trying to dispose of the food wrapper after having her dinner. The door banged shut, shoving her out to the track. Little did she know that was the last time she would ever be able to use her legs to walk. In the subsequent days and weeks, she wasdistressedby what it meant to lose accessibility of her legs. Her anguish was worsenedby the thought that she was causingemotional, physical and financial burden to her mother at an age when she should bethe one offering her support.

Her thoughts began to soar, searching for a world far beyond the four walls that confined her. She decided that even with the limitation of a wheelchair, she had to do whatever she could to gather her dreams and make them a reality. She wanted to continue working, while her treatment was in progress. She wanted her life to have a meaning.She contacted her employers at Chennai and requested for her job back. The employers had faith in her skill and were happy to offer a part-time position for her.

Three years ago,while searching the internet for a placethat could bring purpose to her own existence while giving back to the community, she came across the name ‘Pallium India’.Without wasting any time, she called the number and explained her situation. A palliative care organization that tookcare of people with conditions similar to hers, they were ready togive wings to her dreams. She realised that she had come to the end of her quest – a place where others before her had found refuge and purpose in life. She decided to move to Thiruvananthapuram.

She had lost her father, Krishnan, years ago. Her sister lives in her husband’s house. So Ashla and her mother Janaki Krishnan relocated to Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences, located at Arumana Hospital.She wished to give back to the organisation that had offered her a home. She informed them that as a software engineer, she could do computer-related tasks to assist them. From then on, she became a palliative care volunteer.

She is well aware that the wheelchair would forever be a significant part of her life; but she has attained financial independence. Today she is a part-time software engineer as well as the Executive Assistant to Chairman,Pallium India. Her fingers may not bend to her will, but her hands fly over the laptop keyboardtyping up her work,to the awe and amazement of the observers. Busy as she is, holding important positions in two organizations, she has no time to brood over her situation. Her doctor and superior, Dr M. R. Rajagopal, says that he has not met anyone with so much positive energy. There are countless tasks that need her attention daily, he adds.

Ashla’s many responsibilities include attending to the educational needs of children who have lost their parents to illnesses, providing emotional support and counselling to people who are in the throes of depression and loneliness,and so on. Ashla has created a support group of people with similar issues. As a person who isa recipient as well as a provider of palliative care, her service is invaluable, says Dr Rajagopal. “Her greatest strength is her attitude; her approach to life. She is one of those rare gems who expect very little from life, butat the same time desire to give everything possible to the benefit of others.”

Everyone around her finds her awe-inspiring. When she left the hospital in Ernakulam following the accident, her paralysed body had been capable of very little responseto her commands. There are very few people with paralysis whocome forward and take a lead on activities, with a genuine desire to make a difference to the lives of others. In these last few years, Ashla has learned to listen to others, understand their situation and offer them solace.

In October 2016, the palliative care community of Kerala cametogether at a musical event led by M. Jayachandran. At the event, Ashlagave a message that is thought-provoking and a lesson to all of us. “Given a choice,” she said, “I would indeed like to get up and walk again. However, it is also true that my life in the last few years has been more meaningful than the 28 years in which I was able to walk. Today my life has a purpose, thanks to palliative care. If we can lend a hand, if we can do the least for our society, we would be able to make a difference in the lives of so many people.”

Her words, delivered eloquently before a packed audience, demonstrateher contentment with life despite her limitationsand prove that she has remained unshaken under any adversity that has befallen her. She is not one who considersherself a burden to others.She reminds us all to not waste time over worries that serve no purpose.Today, Ashla is not a patient; she is a friend to everyone who needs support.

“I need your help to live; in return, whatever I can, I will do for you,”Ashla smiles.

Dr M R Rajagopal

Dr M R Rajagopal is the Director of Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences, which is World Health Organization’s Collaborating Centre for Policy and Training on Access to Pain Relief. Dr Rajagopal was awarded the Alison Des Forges award for excellence, by Human Rights Watch, an organization that works towards ensuring human rights for all, across the globe.

New York Times has described Dr Rajagopal as the ‘Father of Palliative Care in India’. Dr Rajagopal was honoured with this year’s TNG award, instituted in memory of the eminent journalist T. N. Gopakumar.

Palliative Care aims to improve quality of Life

Normally, when we are faced with a disease, the course is to diagnose it and treat it. But all diseases are not curable. One third of themare incurable. There are illnesses that make us unable to walk without support and those thatmake it impossible for us to do anything by ourselves. Such diseases require life-long treatment. The psychological and physical suffering associated with these become part of the person’s life itself.Treatments that offer temporary relief may not cure the disease. For those from lower income families, the temporary reliefonly increases thehardship, amplifies their psychological suffering and eventually destroys their families financially.

Medicines generally serve only to decrease or cure the disease. Concerns and insecurities about his future could drive the patient to depression. This is where palliative care enters, offering psychological support to the patient who is undergoing treatment. In addition, palliative care provides social and financial support during or after treatment. In other words, palliative care strives to make the person’s life meaningful.

The breadwinner of the family could have a nasty fall, and the entire family is driven to starvation. In those cases, palliative care volunteers provide support to the patient and the family, including offering educational support to the children. Palliative care comprises of treatment to reduce suffering, psycho-social and financial support, bereavement support and ensuring death with dignity. Palliative care understands that an illness is not confined to the patient, it affects the entire family. “Quality of life” of the family as well as the patient is the goal. In western countries,palliative care plays a crucial role in the health care system. However, in India, only 1% of the needy have access to palliative care, with Kerala at the top of the list with respect to availability. There are 175 centres in Kerala that have permission to stock and dispense morphine and other essential medicines for pain relief.

Those who are interested to learn more about palliative care can take part in training programs. To become a palliative care volunteer, all you need to do is to set aside four days for training.

Translated By : Jeena R Papaadi