Mumbai: 104 amputees receive prosthetic limbs at Dadar camp

FOR 104 people who had lost limbs to accidents infections and other health conditions Sunday marked the beginning of a new chapter After nearly a month of waiting beneficiaries gathered at Nico Hall in Dadar East on Sunday between 8 am and 6 pm to receive custommade prosthetic limbs designed to help them regain mobility and independenceThe initiative was organised by Narayan Seva Sansthan in association with Shri Radha Krishna Charitable Foundation USA It followed a free disability surgery screening selection and measurement camp held on May 18 where participants were assessed and fitted for prosthetics tailored to their needsThe camp brought together people from different walks of life each carrying a unique story of resilience The beneficiariesAmong them was Agnal Naidu a young paraathlete who lost both legs in a local train accident in December 2021Despite the setback he has gone on to win two gold medals and a silver medal in parabasketball and frisbeethrow competitionsSpeaking about his sporting ambitions Naidu said ldquoI have gotten done with the camp I am now waiting for the list of the camp to come out I am looking forward to seeing the results and am sure that whatever the list would say I will be happyrdquoHe also plans to personalise his new prosthetic ldquoI am looking forward to customising them as well but this time I will use batteryoperated lightsrdquo he saidFourteenyearold Aniket Sopan Sonawane from Nashik received a new prosthetic after losing his right leg following a dog attack at the age of 11Recalling the incident Aniket said ldquoI was playing alone and didnrsquot know that there were dogs around suddenly all of them attacked me and I lost my legrdquoHis father Sopan Popat Sonawane remembered the traumatic day ldquoWe were at home when we heard his screams and came out running When we saw him his condition was terrible Our boy was left with severe wounds including one to his scalprdquoHe added ldquoThree days after the incident the doctor told us that his right leg had gotten severely infected and it had to be amputatedrdquoToday Aniket is back in school and says the new prosthetic feels more comfortableFor 31yearold Ashish Pathan who lost his left leg in an accident in 2021 the journey has been equally challengingldquoThough for a period of time I was devastated my family picked me up I am now married and have a beautiful daughterrdquo he saidAnother beneficiary 56yearold Raju Mahadev Kamble lost his leg after a minor foot injury gradually worsened and eventually required amputationUsing a walker while adapting to his new prosthetic Kamble said Once I get used to it I wonrsquot be needing others help as much as I do nowrdquoSimilarly 36yearold Harikesh Vaish lost his left leg to gangrene around a year and a half ago He said he is slowly regaining confidence and learning to use his prosthetic effectivelyldquoIt has only been a year and a half almost since the time I lost my leg I am now learning how to walk on my own and also adjust my prosthetic according to my needs I can now confidently tell the doctors if there are any changes that are needed in terms of height or anythingrdquo he saidOrganisers speakThe programme aimed to provide comprehensive rehabilitation support through free screening assessment and identification of mobility requirementsldquoAdvanced 3D printing technology developed with Japanese and German engineering inputs was utilised to ensure precisionfit modular prosthetic solutions tailored to individual beneficiaries needsrdquo an organiser saidPrashant Agarwal President of Narayan Seva Sansthan emphasised the organisationrsquos commitment to rehabilitation and inclusionldquoAt Narayan Seva Sansthan we believe that every individual deserves the opportunity to live with dignity confidence and independence An artificial limb is not merely a medical device it is a pathway to mobility selfreliance and renewed hope Through these initiatives we are committed to leveraging advanced rehabilitation technologies and compassionate care to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to the support they need to lead fulfilling livesrdquo he saidThe event was attended by Maharashtra Cabinet Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Mangal Prabhat Lodha who highlighted the importance of such initiativesldquoWitnessing beneficiaries take their first steps toward greater independence inspires us to continue expanding our efforts and reaching more communities across the countryrdquo he said