| Anjan, Lathika, Thrippunithura, Kochi |
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While traveling in bus with her cerebral palsy-affected child Anjan, Lathika often used to teach him the association of words and their corresponding pictures. Seeing this, many would ask whether she was coaching him for any exam. Her reply often would be, “For me and my son, every day is an exam day.”
So it is, for children with cerebral palsy and their mothers. It takes utmost patience and perseverance to teach such children and bring them up. And it takes such children, Herculean effort to improve incrementally from their present condition.
Diagnosed at 6 months with pressure in the eyes, Anjan underwent surgery of both eyes. At the age of 1˝ years, his condition was diagnosed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi as cerebral palsy. And later it was understood that the boy could not respond to sound.
And so the parents made considerable running around before he could finally get admission in Mukundan Memorial Speech Therapy School at Kadavanthara, Kochi. In the school, he learned the art of lip reading that enables the deaf to interact with the ordinary persons.
An intelligent child, Anjan soon learned language and maths. At the age of 5 he could tell the time from the clock. He would read the newspaper early in the morning and inform parents about regulation of drinking water, hartal etc. He joined an ordinary school and used to score 70% marks upto 5th standard.
2 years ago, he underwent 2 surgeries to rectify the bend in his legs. Even with the excruciating pain after surgery, Anjan cooperated with physiotherapy that enabled him to use crutches, which now take him to the shop nearby to buy milk.
Anjan, whose hands were initially unsteady, has shown considerable talent in pencil sketches. Talent in painting or drawing often leads to disinclination to try and speak and so was not encouraged by the parents. However, while he was convalescing after surgery, they did not discourage him. In fact it was only then that they understood his talent. Based on his creations, Anjan was even invited to be the chief guest at the annual celebration of Amritha Balavedi last year.
Lathika, an employee at the High Court, was on leave for many years besides suffering in innumerable ways during these years. With the wisdom gained from experience, she declares that the parents of children with cerebral palsy wish to believe that it is not a disease.
Courtesy: Bindu K.Prasad, Malayalam, September 27, 2002
Contributed by: Administrator
