My story: As He Turned 18, The Mumbai Hospital Said That They Can’t Offer Treatment To Him Anymore As He Is An Adult

“During his birth he didn’t receive proper oxygen due to which he didn’t cry and that lead to destruction of thousands of his brain cells. He was kept in the incubator but the gynaecologist had advised me to take him to a paediatrician. So, the very next day I went to a paediatrician and he said that there are only 50% chances of his survival. He was hospitalized in the ICU at a Children’s Hospital while my wife was in another hospital and this went on for more than 10 days.

Once the doctors were satisfied with the recovery they discharged both of them, but while leaving the doctor advised me to give physiotherapy to my son. We decided to take him to a physiotherapist and even though he wasn’t even a year old, his physiotherapy and exercises had started. The physiotherapist was a specialist in Cerebral Parsley so she immediately came to know that my son was also suffering from it. But she didn’t tell us thinking that we will be shocked.

So over the course of time she informed us about the same and also her treatment started showing improvements. But, one fine day we three were going on a scooter and unfortunately, it got punctured due to which we met with an accident. While nothing happened to me but my wife and son, both, were badly injured and both were hospitalized. All these months of treatment to my son and his recovery went in vain and at the same time our physiotherapist shifted to another city. It was during that time when I came to know about Asia’s First Cerebral Parsley Child Hospital in Mumbai, so we decided to visit it and see if they could treat my child.

A team of doctors examined him and came to the conclusion that my son needs Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Special Education and also Physiotherapy. To avail this treatment we would have to initially stay at Mumbai for almost three months and in the long term we would have to stay for 10 months out of 12 months in Mumbai for the treatment.

For us the biggest question was about arranging and managing finances as we both had to stay with him in Mumbai but still we went ahead with decision to take him there for the treatment. We started staying in the sanatorium and his treatment started and after three months the results were fantastic. The authorities told us to go back and again come back after 15 days. In those 15 days we tried to earn as much as possible and again went back to Mumbai for three months and that cycle still continued. Also, his treatment and therapy classes were not only going in Mumbai but also in Ahmedabad too. He was even enrolled in a school in Ahmedabad.

Since last 18 years we have been following the same cycle where we have been juggling between these two cities. As he turned 18, the Mumbai hospital where his treatment was going on, said that they can’t offer treatment to him anymore as he is an adult now and at the same time they closed down all their departments and we were clueless about his further treatment.

So we started personal treatments from all the doctors and meanwhile his 10th grade exams came where just a day before the exam the authorities rejected his application for the writer and denied him admission in exams but I fought with the authorities to get him a writer for the exams and after that he completed his schooling with flying colors and currently he is doing his graduation.

He has even met our Honorable Prime Minister who appreciated my son and his journey. We have gone through a lot- From people saying that he is disabled and useless; made him sit in a corner to people distancing themselves from us because they thought that we might ask them for financial aid to undergoing three major operations to more than 18 years of treatment, but today when we look back then we realize that we have come a long way.

Any Message?
Our only aim in life was to see him stand on his own feet and make some name of his own and we are proud to say that we are almost close to achieving that dream. So through our story we want all the parents of disabled children to support them and help them achieve something in life.”

Story of: Kunjan Bhatt

Story By – Pray Bavishi | Image: Kunjan Bhatt | Humans Of Amdavad