PRERNA..........

I call her, and she beams and then shies away. I met her for the first time when she was just 5 months old. Somehow, the words “baby doll” came to my mind…she was and is cute, has her mom’s eyes, else she is the apple of her dad’s eyes. Prerna, is the ‘baby doll’ of Aparna and Rajesh Nayak. Rajesh, a fellow cinematographer, family friend or rather a part of our extended family. Prerna, when I saw her, she was perfect, except for just one flaw or drawback. She could not hold up her head by herself, a milestone which most babies attain at 3 months after birth. Of course, this was a concern to her parents and the family….with everyone else also expressing their concern, the parents began consulting doctors. Thus, began the saga. Prerna, the inspiration. Prerna, the very special child. Prerna, who has Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral palsy is condition, sometimes thought of as a group of disorders that can involve brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking.

I am writing about her, because she is special the way she is. Peru (as she is fondly called) is the nucleus of her mom’s world…..but, she is such a daddy’s girl. As her mom says, she is a “drama queen”. She will feign sleep during her therapy sessions. All she wants is attention and love. Her weakness is pampering and praising her. She loves it when people talk to her, but is shy. Though she understands everything, she is sensitive to the feelings of the people who interact with her. She battled a near fatal pneumonia when she was just 8 months old. First, what they thought as jaundice turned out to be double pneumonia and viral infection with only 10% chance of surviving.  She is a fighter and also a survivor.

“The capacity to care is the thing that gives life its deepest meaning and significance.” – Pablo Casals.

Life is not easy for the parents of a special child. With her dad being away from home most of the time, the responsibility rests squarely on the mother’s shoulder. I must salute her for the way she is shouldering this responsibility. Does she have a life of her own? No. For her, there no demarcation between day and night. It is a 24 x 7 vigil. When we mothers are talking about our kids achievement in either studies or any other extracurricular activity, Aparna would be happy that she and Peru got by the day without a hitch!

 "The word which God has written on the brow of every person," wrote Victor Hugo, "is Hope."  As long as we have hope no situation is hopeless.

All the efforts of mom and daughter are paying off…..but, very slowly and gradually. Today, Peru is able to hold her head high and she can sit too. She is undergoing physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. The rewards are slow to come by. Whatever the season, however harsh the weather, whatever her physical condition, Aparna cannot take a break. It is difficult to imagine me in her shoes. Despite all this, they all have such a happy and positive disposition. Hope is what they have. Hope is what that is getting them through life. Hope is what is making them wait patiently to hear Prerna call her parents “ma” and “papa”. Hope to see that day soon.